they are the breath of living creatures some that one of them begat another some that they were created of the least part of the masse whereof the earth was made and some that they are substances betweene God and man and that of them some are terrestriall some celestiall some watery some airy some firy some starry and some of each and every part of the elements and that they know our thoughts and carry our good works and prayers to God and returne his benefits backe unto us and that they are to be worshipped wherein they meete and agree iumpe with the papists as if you read the notes upon the second chapter to the Colossians in the Seminaries testament printed at Rhemes you shall manifestly see though as contrary to the word of God as blacke to white as apppeareth in the Apocalypse where the angell expresly forbad Iohn to worship him Againe some say that they are meane betwixt terrestiall and celestiall bodies communicating part of each nature and that although they be eternall yet that they are moved with affections and as there are birds in the aire fishes in the water and wormes in the earth so in the fourth element which is the fire is the habitation of spirits and divels And lest we should thinke them idle they say they have charge over men and government in all countries and nations Some say that they are onely imaginations in the mind of man Tertullian saith they are birds and fly faster then any sowle of the aire Some say that divels are not but when they are sent and therefore are called evill angels Some thinke that the divell sendeth his angels abroad and â—e himselfe maketh his continuall abode in hell his mansion place CHAP. III. The opinion of Psellus touching spirits of their severall orders and a confutation of his errors therein PSellus being of authority in the church of Rome and not impugnable by any catholike being also instructed in these supernaturall or rather diabolicall matters by a monke called Marcus who had been familiarly conversant a long time as he said with a certaine divell reporteth upon the same divels owne word which must needs understand best the state of this question that the bodyes of angels and divels consist not now of all one element though perhaps it were otherwise before the fall of Lucifer and that the bodyes of spirits and divels can feele and be felt do hurt and be hurt in so much as they lamenâ— when they are stricken and being put to the fire are burnt and yet that they themselves burne continnually in such sort as they leave ashes behind them in places where they have beeâ—e as manifest tryall thereof hath been if he say truly in the borders of Italy He also saith upon like credit and assurance that divels and spirits do avoid and shed from out of their bodyes such seed or nature as whereby certaine vermine are ingendered and that they are nourished with food as we are saving that they receive it not into their mouthes but sucke it up into their bodies in such sort as sponges soke up water Also he saith they have names shapes and dwelling places as indeed they have though not in temporall and corporâ—â— sort Furthermore he saith that there are six princiall kind of divels which are not only corporall but temporall and worldly The first sort consist of fire wandering in the region neere to the moone but have no power to go into the moone The second sort consisting of aire have their habitation more low and neere unto us these saith he are proud and great boasters very wise and deceitfull and when they come downe are seene with streames of fire at their taile He saith that these are commonly conjured up to make images laugh and lamps burne of their owne accord and that in Assyria they use much to prophesie in a bason of water Which kinde of incantation is usuall among our conjurors but it is here commonly performed in a pitcher or pot of water or else in a viall of glasse filled with water wherein they say at the first a little sound is heard without a voice which is a token of the divels comming Anon the water seemeth to be troubled and then there are heard small voyces wherewith they give their answers speaking so softly as no man can well heare them because saith Cardane they would not be argued or rebuked of lies But this I have else-where more largely described and confuted The third sort of divels Psellus saith are earthly the fourth watery or of the sea the fift under the earth the sixt sort are Lucifugi that is such as delight in darkenes and are scant indued with sense and so dull as they can scarse be moved with charmes or conjurations The same man saith that some divels are worse than other but yet that they all hate God and are enemies to man But the worser moity of divels are Aquei Subterranei and Lucifugi that is watery under the earth and shunners of light because saith he these hurt not the soules of men but destroy mens bodies like mad and ravening beasts molesting both the inward and outward parts thereof Aquei are they that raise tempests and drowne seafaring men and do all other mischiefes on the water Subterranei and Lucifugi enter into the bowels of men and torment them that they possesse with the phrensie and the falling evill They also assault them that are miners or pioners which use to worke in deepe and darke holes under the earth Such divels as are earthy and aiery he saith enter by subtilty into the minds of men to deceive them provoking men to absurd and unlawfull affections But herein his philosophy is very unprobable for if the divell be earthy he must needs be palpable if he be palpable he must needs kill them into whose bodies he entereth Item if he be of 〈…〉 then must he also be visible and untransformable in that 〈…〉 God 's creation cannot be annihilated by the creature So as though it were granted that they might adde to their substance matter and forme c. yet it is most certaine that they cannot diminish or alter the substance whereof they consist as not to be when they liâ—t spirituall or to relinquish and leave earth water fire aire or this and that element whereof they are created But howsoever they imagine of water aire or fire I am sure earth must always be visible and palpable yea and aire must alwayes be invisible and fire must be hot add water must be moist And of these three latter bodies specially of water and aire no forme nor shape can be exhibited to mortall eye naturally or by the power of any creature CHAP. IIII. More absurd assertions of Psellus and such others concerning the actions and passions of spirits his definition of them and of his experience therein MOreover the same author saith that
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
impossible and incredible confessions which are so fond that I wonder how any men can be abused thereby Howbeit these affections though they appear in the mind of man yet are they bred in the body and proceed from this humor which is â—he very dregs of blood nourishing and feeding those places from whence proceed feares cogitations superstitions fastings labours and such like This maketh sufferance of torments and as some say foresight of things to come and preserveth health as being cold and dry it makeâ—h men subject to leannesse and to the quartane ague They that are vexed therewith are destroyers of themselves stout to suffer injuries fearfull to offer violence except the humor be hot They learne strange tongues with small industry as Aristotle and others affirme If our witches phantasies were not corrupted nor their wils confounded with this humor they would not so voluntarily and readily confesse that which calleth their life in question whereof they could never otherwise be convicted I. Bodin with his lawyers physick reasoneth contrarily as though melancholy were furthest of all from those old women whom we call witches deriding the most famoâ—s and noble Physitian Iohn Wier for his opinion in that behalfe But becâ—use I am no Physitian I will set a Physitian to him namely Erastus who hath these words to wit that these witches through their corrupt phantasie abounding with melancholike humors by reason of their old age do dreame and imagine they hurt those things which they neither could nor do hurt and so think they knew an art which they neither have learned nor yet understand But why should there be more credit given to witches when they say they have made a reall bargain with the divell killed a cow bewitched butter infeebled a child forespoken her neighbour c. than when she confesseth that she transubstantiateth her self maketh it rain or hail flieth in the air goeth invisible transferreth corn in the grasse from one field to another c. If you think that in the one their confessions be found why should you say that they are corrupt in the other the confession of all these things being made at one instant and affirmed with like constancy or rather audacity But you see the one to be impossible and therefore you think thereby that their confessions are vain and false The other you think may be done and see them confesse it and therefore you conclude A Posse ad essé as being perswaded it is so because you think it may be so But I say both with the divines and philosophers that that which is imagined of witch-craft hath no truth of action or being besides their imagination the witch for the most part is ocâ—upied in false causes For whosoever desireth to bring to passe an impossible thing hath a vain and idle and childish perswasion bred by an unsound minde for Sana mentis voluntas voluntas rei possibilis est The will of a sound mind is the desire of a possible thing CHAP. XII A confutation of witches confessions especially concerning theâ—â— league But it is objected that witches confesse they renounce the faith and as their confession must be true or else they would not make it so must their fault be worthy of death or else they should not be executed Whereunto I answer as before that their confessions are extorted or else proceed from an unsound mind Yea I say further that we our selves which are sound of mind and yet seek any other way of salvation than Christ Jesus or break his commandements or walk not in 〈◊〉 steps with a lively faith c. do not onely renounce the faith but God himselfe and therefore they in confessing that they forsake God and imbrace Satan do that which we all should do As touching that horrible part of their confession in the league which tendeth to the killing of their own and others children the seething of them and the making of their potion or pottage and the effects thereof â—heir good fridayes meeting being the day of their deliverance their incests with their returne at the end of nine moneths when commonly women be neither able to go that journy nor to returne c. it is so horrible unnaturall unlikely and impossible that if I should behold such things with mine eyes I should rather think my selfe dreaming drunken or some way deprived of my senses than give credit to so horrible and filthy matters How hath the the oyle or pottage of a sodden child such vertue as thaâ— a staffe annointed therewith can carry folk in the air Their potable liquor which they say maketh masters of that faculty is it not ridiculous And is it not by the opinion of all philosophers Physitians and divines void of such vertue as is imputed thereunto Their not fasting on fridayes and their fasting on sundayes their spitting at the time of elevation their refusall of holy-water their despising of superstitious crosses c. which are all good steps to true Christianity help me to confute the tesidue of their confessions CHAP. XIII A confutation of witches confessions concerning making of tempests and raine of the naturall cause of raine and that witches or devillâ— have no power to do such things ANd to speak more generally of all the impossible actions refâ—rred uâ—to them as also of their false confessions I say that there is none which acknowledgeth God to be onely omnipotent and the onely workeâ— of all miracles nor any other iâ—dued with meane sense but will deny thaâ— the elements are obedient to wiâ—ches and at their commandement or that they may at their pleasure send râ—n hail tempests thunder lightning when she being bâ—â— an old doing woman casteth a flint-stone over her let shoulder towards the west or hurleth a little sea-sand up into the element or wetteth a broom-sprig in water and sprinkleth the same in the air or diggeth a pit in the earth and putting water therein stirreth it about with her finger or boileth hogs bristles or laieth sticks acrosse upon a banke where never a drop of water is or burieth sage till it be rotten all which things are confessed by witches and affirmed by writers to be the meanes that witches use to move extraordinary tempests and rain c. We read in M. Maleficarum that a little girle walking abroad with her father in his land heard him complaine of drought wishing for raine c. Why Father quoth the child I can make it raine or haile when and where I list He asked where she learned it She said of her mother who forbad her to tell any bodie thereof He asked her how her mother taught her She answered that her mother committed her to a master who would at any time do any thing for her Why then said he make it rain but onely in my field And so she went to the streame and threw up water in her masters name and made it rain presently And proceeding further
enemies either bodily or ghostly neither shall be robbed or slaine of theeves pestilence thunder or lightning neither shall be hurt with fire or water not combred with spirits neither shall have displeasure of lords or ladies he shall not be condemned with false witnesse nor taken with fairies or any manner of axes nor yet with the falling evil Also if a woman be in travel lay this writing upon her belly she shall have easie deliverance and the child right shape and christendome and the mother purification of holy church and all through vertue of these holy names of Jesus Christ following ✚ Iesus ✚ Christus ✚ Messias ✚ Soter ✚ Emmanuel ✚ Sabbaoth ✚ Adonai ✚ Vnigenitus ✚ Majestas ✚ Paracleius ✚ Salvaâ—or noster ✚ Agiros iskiros ✚ Agios ✚ Adonaâ—os ✚ Gasper ✚ Melchior ✚ Balthasar ✚ Matthaeus ✚ Marcus ✚ Lucas ✚ Iohannes The epistle of S. Saviour which pope Leo sent to King Charles saying that whosoever carrieth the same about him or in what day soever he shall reade it or shall see it he shall not be killed with any iron toole nor be burned with fire nor be drowned with water neither any evill man or other creature may hurt him The crosse of Christ is a wonderfull defence ✚ the crosse of Christ be alwaies with me ✚ the crosse is it which I do alwaies worship ✚ the crosse of Christ is true health ✚ the crosse of Christ doth lose the bands of death ✚ the crosse of Christ is the truth and the way ✚ I take my journey upon the crosse of the Lord ✚ the crosse of Christ beateth down every evill ✚ the crosse of Christ giveth all good things ✚ the crosse of Christ taketh away paines everlasting ✚ the crosse of Christ save me ✚ O crosse of Christ be upon me before me and behind me ✚ because the ancient enemie cannot abide the sight of thee ✚ the crosse of Christ save me keep me governe me and direct me ✚ Thomas bearing this note of thy divine majesty ✚ Alpha ✚ Omega ✚ first ✚ and last ✚ middest ✚ and end ✚ beginning ✚ and first begotten ✚ wisdome ✚ vertue ✚ A popish periapt or charme which must never be said but carried about one against theeves I Do go and I do come unto you with the love of God with the humility of Christ with the holinesse of our blessed lady with the faith of Abraham with the justice of Isaac with the vertue of David with the might of Peter with the constancy of Paul with the word of God with the authority of Gregory with the prayer of Clement with the flood of Iordan p p p c g e g a q q est p t 1 k a b g l k 2 a x t g t b a m g 2 4 2 1 que p x c g k q a 9 9 p o q q r. Oh onely Father ✚ oh onely lord ✚ And Iesus ✚ passing through the middest of them ✚ went In ✚ the name of the father ✚ and of the Sonne ✚ and of the Holy Ghost ✚ Another amulet JOseph of Aâ—imathea did find this writing upon the wounds of the side of Iesus Christ written with Gods finger when the body was taken away from the crosse Whosoever shall carry this writing about him shall not dye any evill death if he beleeve in Christ and in all perplexities he shall soone be delivered neither let him fear any danger at all Fons alpha omega ✚ figa ✚ figalis ✚ Sabbaoth ✚ Emmanuel ✚ Adonai ✚ o ✚ Neray ✚ Elay ✚ â—he ✚ Rentone ✚ Neger ✚ Sahe ✚ Pangeton ✚ Commen ✚ a ✚ g ✚ l ✚ a ✚ Mattheus ✚ Marcus ✚ Lucas ✚ Iohannes ✚ ✚ ✚ titulus triumphalis ✚ Iesus Nasareuus rex Iudaeorum ✚ ecce dominicae crucis signnm ✚ fugite partes adversae vicit leo de tribu Iudae radix David aleluijah Kyrie eleeson Christe eleeson pater noster ave Maria ne nos veniat super nos salutare tuum Oremus c. I find in a Primer intituled The houres of our Lady after the use of the church of Yorke printed anno 1516. a charme with this titling in red letters To all them that afore this image of pity devoutly shall say five Pater nosters five Aves and one Credo pitiously beholding these armes of Christs passion are granted thirty two thousand seven hundred fifty five years of pardon It is to be thought that this pardon was granted in the time of pope Boniface the nineth for Platina saith that the pardons were sold so cheape that the apostolicall authority grew into contempt A papistical charme SIgnum sanctae crucis defendat me a malis praesentibus praeteritis futuris interioribus exterioribus That is The signe of the crosse defend me from evils present past and to come inward and outward A charme found in the canon of the masse ALso this charge is found in the canon of the masse Haec sacrosancta commixtio corporis sanguinis domini nostri Iesu Christi fiat mihi omnibusque sumentibus salus mentis corporis ad vitam promerendam capessendam praeparatio salutaris that is Let this holy mixture of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ be unto me and unto all receivers thereof health of mind and body and to the deserving and receiving of life an healthful preparative Other papisticall charmes Aqua benedicta sit mihi salus vita Let holy water be both health and life to me Adque nomen Martini omnis haereticus fugiat palladus When Martins name is sung or said Let hereticks flie as men dismaid But the papists have a harder charme than that to wit Fire and â—agot Fire and fagot A charme of the holy crosse Nulla salus est in domo Nisi cruce munit homo Superliminaria Neque sentit gladium Nec amisit filium Quisquis egit talia No health within the house doth dwell Except a man do crosse him well At every doore or frame He never feeleth the swords point Nor of his sonne shall lose a joint That doth performe the same Furthermore as followeth Ista suos fortiores Semper facit victores Morbos sanat languores Reprimit daemonia Dat captivis libertatem Vitae confert novitatem Ad antiquam dignitarem Crux reduxit omnia O Crux lignum triumphale Mundi vera salus vale Inter ligna nullum tale Frande flore germine Medicina Christiana Salva sanos aegros sana Quod non valet vis humana Fit in tuo nomine c. It makes her souldiers excellent And crowneâ—h them with victory Restores the lame and impotent and healeth every malady The devils of hell it conquereth releaseth from imprisonment Newnesse of life it offereth It hath all at commandement O crosse of wood incomparable To all the world most wholesome No wood is half so honourable In branch in bud or blossome O medicine which
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 ✚
phin ✚ gergoin ✚ leâ—o◠✚ Amin ✚ amin ✚ In the name of the most pitifullest and and mercifullest God of Isâ—â—â—â— and of paradise of heaven and of earth of the seas and of the infernals by thine omnipotent help may perform this work which livest and reigâ—est over one God world without end Amen O most strongest and mightiest God without beginning or ending by thy clemency and knowledge I desire that my questions work and labour may be fully and truely accomplished through thy worthinesse good Lord which livest and reignest ever one God world without eâ—â— Amen O holy patient and mercifull great God and to be worshipped the Lord of all wisdome clear and just I most heartily desire thy holinesse and clemency to fulfill perform and accomplish this my whole work through thy worthynesse and blessed power which livest and reignest ever one God Per omnia saecula saeculorum Amen CHAP. XII How to inclose a spirit in a crystall stone THis operation following is to have a spirit inclosed into a crystall stone or beryll glasse or into any other like instrument c. First thou in the new of the ☽ being clothed with all new and fresh and clean aray and shaven and that day to fast with bread and water and being cleane confessed say the seven Psalmes and the Letany for the space of two days with this prayer following I desire thee O Lord God my mercifull and most loving God the giver of all graces the giver of all sciences grant that I thy wel-beloved N. although unworthy may know thy grace and power against all the deceipts and craftinesse of devils And grant to me thy power good Lord to constrain them by this art for thou art the true and lively and eternall God which livest and reignest ever one God through all worlds Amen Thou must doe this five dayes and the sixt day have in a readinesse five bright swords and in some secret place make one circle with one of the said swords And then write this name Sitrael which done standing in the circle thrust in thy sword into that name And write again Malanthon with another sword and Thamaor with another and Falaur with another and Sitrami with another and ode as ye did with the first All this done turn thee to Sitrael and kneeling say thus having the crystall stone in thine hands O Sitrael Malantha Thamaor Falaur and Sitrami Written in these circles appointed to this work I doe conjure and I doe exorcise you by the Father by the Sonne and by the Holy-Ghost by him which cast you out of Paradise and by him which spake the word and it was done and by him which shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the world by fire that all you five infernall masters and princes doe come unto mee to accomplish and to fulfill all my desire and request which I shall command you Also I conjure you divels and command you I bid you and appoint you by the Lord Jesus Christ the sonne of the most highest God and by the blessed and glorious Virgine Mary and by all the Saints both of men and women of God and by all the Angels Archangels Patriarches and prophets Apostles Evangelists martyrs and confessours virgins and widowes and all the elect of God Also I conjure you and every of you ye infernall Kings by the heaven by the starres by the ☉ and by the ☽ and by all the planets by the earth fire air and water and by the terrestriall paradise and by all things in them contained and by your hell and by all the divels in it and dwelling about it and by your vertue and power and by all whatsoever and with whatsoever it be which may constraine and binde you Therefore by all these foresaid vertues and powers I doe bind you and constrain you into my will and power that you being thus bound may come unto me in great humility and to appeare in your circles beforâ— me visibly in fair form and shape of mankind kings and to obey unto me all things whatsoever I shall desire and that you may not depart from me without my licence And if you doe against my precepts I will promise unto you that you shall descend into the profound deepâ—â—sse of the Sea except that you doe obey unto me in the part of the living son of God which liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost by all world of worlds Amen Say this true conjuration five courses and then shalt thou see coâ—e out of the Northpart five Kings with a marvellous company which whâ—â— they are come to the circle they will alight down off from their horsâ— and will kneel downe before thee saying Master command us wâ—â—â— thou wilt and we will out of hand be obedient unto thee Unto whom thou shalt say see that ye depart not from me without my licence and that which I will command you to doe let it be done truely suâ—ely faithfully and essentially And then they all will sweare unto thee to doe all thy will And after they have sworn say the conjuration immediately following I conjure charge and command you and every of you Sirrael Malâ—â—than Thamaar Falaur and Sitrami you infernal kings to put into the crystall stone one spirit learned â—â—d expert in all arts and sciences by the vertue of this name of God Tetragrammaton and by the crosse of our Loâ—â— Jesus Christ and by the bloud of the innocent lambe which redeemed all the world and by all their virtues and poweâ—s I charge you ye â—oble kings that the said spirit may teach shew and declare unto me and to my friends at all houres and minuts both night and day the mâ—â— of all things both bodily and ghostly in this world whatsoever I shall request or desire declaring also to me my very name And this I command in your part to doe and to obey thereunto as unto your owâ— Lord and Master That done they will call a certain spirit whom thâ—â— will command to enter into the centre of the circled or round crystal Tâ—â—â— put the crystall between the two circles and thou shalt see the crysâ—â—â—â— made black Then command them to command the spirit in the crystall not 〈◊〉 depart out of the stone till thou give him licence and to fulfill 〈◊〉 will for ever That done thou shalt see them goe upon the crystall both to answer your requests and to tarry your licence That done the spirits will crave licence and say Goe ye to your place appoinâ—â—â— of Almighty God in the name of the father c. And then take up 〈◊〉 crystall and look therein asking what thou wilt and it will shew it â—â—to thee Let all your circles be nine foot every way and made as foâ—loweth Work this work in ♋ â™ or ♓ in the houre of the ☽ or â— And when the spirit is inclosed if thou feare him binde him with some bond in such
be and what be their names and by whom it was laid there and to shew me true visions of what sort and similitude they be and how long they have kept it and to know in what dayes and houres 〈◊〉 shall call such a spirit N. to bring unto us these treasures into such a plan N. upon paine of everlasting condemnation ✚ Also I constraine thee spirit N. by all angels archangels thrones dominations principats potestaâ—s virtutes cherubim seraphim that you do shew a true vision in this crystall stone who did convay or steale away such a N. and where it is and who hath it and how far off and what is his or her name and how and when to come unto it upon paine of eternall condemnation Fiat Amen Also I conjure thee spirit N. by the ☉ ☽ ♄ ♃ ♂ ♀ ☿ by all the characters in the firmament that thou do shew unto me a true vision in this crystall stone where such N. and in what state he is and how long â—e hath been there and what time he will be in such a place what day and houre and this and all other things to declare plainely in paine of hell fire Fiat Amen A licence to depart Depart out of the sight of this crystall stone in peace for a 〈◊〉 and ready to appeare therein againe at any time or times I shal call thee by the vertue of our Lord Iesus Christ and by the bonds of words which are written in this booke and to appeare â—â—sibly as the words be rehearsed I constraine thee spirit N. by the divinity of the Godhead to be obedient unto these words rehearsed upon paine of everlasting condemnation both in this world and in the worldâ— come Fiat fiat fiat Amen CHAP. XX. When to talk with spirits and to have true answers to find out a theife THe dayes and houres of ♄ ♂ ☿ and the ☽ is best to doe all crafts of necromancy and for to speak with spirits and for to find theft and to have true answer thereof or of any other such like And in the dayes and houres of ☉ ♃ ♀ is best to doe all experiments of love and to purchase grace and for to be invisible and to do any operations whatsoever it be for any thing the ☽ being in a convenient signe As when thou labourest for theft see the moon be in an earthy signe as ♉ ♠♑ or of the air as ♊ ♎ â™’ And if it be for love favour or grace let the ☽ be in a signe of the fire as ♈ ♌ â™ and for hatred in a signe of the water as ♋ ♠♓ For any other experiment let the ☽ be in ♈ And if thou findest the ☉ and the ☽ in one sign that is called in even number then thou mayst write consecrate conjure and make ready all manner of things that thou wilt doe c. To speak with spirits Call these names Orimoth Belimoth Lymâ—ck and say thus I conjure you up by the names of the angels Satur and Azimor that you intend to me in this houre and send unto a me spirit called Sagrigrit that he do fulfill my commandement and desire and that also can understand my words for one or two years or as long as I will c. CHAP. XXI A confutation of conjuration especially of the raising binding and dismissing of the divell of going invisible and other lewd practises THus far have we waded in shewing at large the vanity of necromancers conjurors and such as pretend to have reall conference and consultation with spirits and divels wherein I trust you see what notorious blasphemy committed besides other blind superstitious ceremonies a disordered heap which are so far from building up the endeavours of these black art practitioners that they doe altogether ruinate and overthrow them making them in their follies and falsehoods as bare and naked as an anatomy As for these ridiculous conjurations last rehearsed being of no small reputation among the ignorant they are for the most part made by T. R. for so much of his name he bewrayeth and Iohn Cokirs invented and deviced for the augmentation and maintenance of their living for the edifying of the poore and for the propagating and inlarging of Gods glory as in the beginning of their book of conjurations they protest which in this place for the further manifestation of their impiety and of the witchmongers follie and credulity I thought good to insert whereby the residue of their proceedings may be judged or rather detected For if we seriously behold the matter of conjuration and the drift of conjurors we shall finde them in mine opinion more faulty then such as take upon them to be witches as manifest offenders against the majesty of God and his holy law and as apparent violators of the laws and quietnesse of this realm although indeed they bring no such thing to passe as is surmised and urged by câ—edulous persons cousenors lyars and witchmongers For these are alwayes learned and rather abusers of others than they themselves by others abused But let us see what appearance of truth or possibility is wrapped withiâ— thesâ— mysteries and let us unfold the deceipt They have made choice of certaine words whereby they say they can work miracles c. And first of all that they call divels and soules out of hell though we find in the Scripture manifest proofs that all passages are stopped concerning the egresse out of hell so as they may goe thither but they shall never get out for Ab inferno nulla est redemptio out of hell there is no redemption Well when they have gotten them up they shut them in a circle made with chalk which is so strongly beset and invironed with crosses and names that they cannot for their lives get out which is a very probable matter Then can they bind them and loose them at their pleasures and make them that have been lyers from the beginning to tell the truth yea they can compell them to doe any thing And the divels are forced to be obedient unto them and yet cannot be brought to due obedience unto God their creator This done I say they can worke all manner of miracles saving blew miracles and this is beleeved of many to be true Tam credula mens hominis arrectae fabulis aures So light of beleef is the mind of man And attentive to tales his eares now and than But if Christ onely for a time left the power of working miracles among his Apostles and Disciples for the confirmation of his Gospell and the faith of his elect yet I deny altogether that hee left that power with these knaves which hide their cousening purposes under those lewd and foolish words according to that which Peter saith With faigned words they make merchandize of you And therefore the counsell is good that Paul giveth us when he biddeth us take heed that no man
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
Ghost Another treating upon the 〈◊〉 argument proceedeth in this reverent manner The holy spirit is the vertue or power of God quickning nourishing fostering and perfecting all things by whose only breathing it cometh to pass that we both know and love God and become at the length like unto him which spirit is the pledge and earnest penny of grace and beareth witness unto our heartâ— whiles wee cry Abba Father This spirit is called the spirit of God the spirit of Christ and the spirit of him which raised up Jesus from the dead Jesus Christ for that he received not the spirit by measure but in fulness doth call it his spirit saying When the comforter shall come whom I will send even the holy spirit he shall testifie of me This spirit hath divers metaphoricall names attributed thereunto in the Holy Scriptures It is called by the name of water because it washeth comforteth moiestneth softeneth and maketh fruitfull with all godliness and vertues the mindes of men which otherwise would be unclean comfortless hard dry and barren of all goodness whereupon the prophet Isay saith â— I will powre water upon the thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground c. Wherewithall the words of Christ doe agree He that beleeveth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of waters of life And elsewhere Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never be more a thirst Other places likewise there be wherein the holy spirit is signified by the name of water and floud as in the 13. of Isay the 29. of Ezech. the 146. Psalme c. The same spirit by reason of the force and vehemency thereof is termed fire For it doth purifie and cleanse the whole man from top to toe it doth burn out the soil and dross of sins and setteth him all in a flaming and hot burning zeal to prefer and further Gods glory Which plainly appeared in the Apostles who when they had received the spirit they spake fiery words yea such words as were uncontrollable in so much as in none â—oâ—e than in them this saying of this prophet Ieremy was verified Nunquid non verba mâ—a sunt quasi ignis Are not my words even as it were fire This was dâ—clared and shewed by those fiery tongues which were seen upon the Apostles after they had reâ—ivâ—d â—â—e holy spirit Moreover this spirit is called annointing or ointment because that as in old time priests and kings were by annointing deputed to their office and charge and so were made fit and serviceable for the same even so the elect are not so much declared as renewed and made apt by the training up of the holy spirit both to live well and also to glorifie God Whereupon dependeth the saying of Iohn And ye have no need that any should teach you but as the same ointment doth teach you It is also called in Scripture The oil of gladness and rejoycing wheâ—eof it is said in the book of Psalmes God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of joy and gladness c. And by this goodly and comfortable name of oil in the Scriptures is the mercy of God oftentimes expressed because the nature of that doth agree with the property and quality of this For as oil doth flote and swim above all other liquors so the mercy of God doth surpass and overreach all his works and the same doth most of al disclose it self to miserable man It is likewise called the finger of God that is the might and power of God by the vertue whereof the Apostles did cast out divels to wit even by the finger of God It is called the spirit of truth because it maketh men true and faithfull in their vocation and for that it is the touchstone to try all counterfeit devices of mans braine and all vain sciences prophane practises deceitfull arts and circumventing inventions such as be in generall all sorts of witchcrafts and inchantments within whose number are comprehended all those wherewith I have had some dealing in this my discovery to wit charmes or incantations divinations augury judiciall astrology nativity casting alcumystery conjuration lotshare popery which is meer paltry with diverse other not one whereof no nor all together are able to stand to the triall and examination which this spirit of truth shall and will take of those false and evill spirits Nay they shall be found when they are laid into the balance to be lighter than vanity very drosse when they once come to be tryed by the fervent heat of this spirit and like chaffe when this spirit bloweth upon them driven away with a violent whirlewind such is the perfection integrity and effectuall operation of this spirit whose working as it is manifold so it is marvellous and therefore may and is called the spirit of spirits This spirit withdrawing it selfe from the hearts of men for that it will not inhabit and dwell where sinne hath dominion giveth place unto the spirit of errour and blindnesse to the spirit of servitude and compunction which bireth gnaweth and whetteth their hearts with a deadly hate of the gospell in so much as it grieveth their minds and irketh their ears either to hear or understand the truth of which disease properly the Pharises of old were and the papists even now are sick Yea the want of this good spirit is the cause that many fall into the spirit of perversenesse and frowardnesse into the spirit of giddinesse lying drowâ—â—nesse and dulnesse according as the prophet Isay saith For the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes and again elsewhere Dominus miscuit in medio c. The Lord hath mingled among them the spirit of giddinesse and hath made Egypt to erre as a drunken man erreth in his vomit as it is said by Paul And their foolish heart was blinded and God gave them over unto their owne hearts lusts Which punishment Moses threatneth unto the Jewes The Lord shall smite thee with madnesse with blindnesse and amazednesse of mind and thou shalt grope at high noon as a blinde man useth to grope c. In some this word Spirit doth signifie a secret force and power wherewith our minds are moved and directed if unto holy things then is it the motion of the holy spirit of the spirit of Christ and of God if unto evill things then is it the suggestion of the wicked spirit of the divell and of satan Whereupon I inferre by the way of a question with what spirit we are to suppose such to be moved as either practise any of the vanities treated upon in this book or through credulity addict themselves thereunto as unto divine oracles or the voice of angels breaking through the clouds We cannot impute this motion unto the good spirit for then they should be able to discerne between the nature of