The Discoverie of Witchcraft

BOOK II.

Chap. Page.

I. Of Spirits in general, what they are, and how to be considered, also how far the power of Magitians and Witches, is able to operate in Diabolical Magick. 39

II. Of the good and evil Dæmons or Genii; whether they are, what they are, and how they are manifested; also of their names, powers, faculties, offices, how they are to be considered. 42

III. Of the Astral Spirits of Men departed; what they are, and why they appear again, and what witchcraft may be wrought by them. 45

IV. Of astral spirits, or separate dæmons in all their distinctions, names, & natures, and places of habitations, & what may be wrought by their assistance. 49

V. Of the Infernal Spirits, or Devils, & damned souls, treating what their natures, names, & powers are. 56

VI. Of the nature, force, & forms of charms, periapts, amulets, pentacles, conjurations, ceremonies, &c. 66

VII. Being the conclusion of the whole, wherein divers ancient spells, charms, incantations, and exorcisms, are briefly spoken of. 68

THE END.

The discoverie of Witchcraft.

¶ The first Booke.

The first Chapter.

An impeachment of Witches power in meteors and elementarie bodies tending to the rebuke of such as attribute too much unto them.

The fables of Witchcraft have taken so fast hold and deepe root in the heart of man, that fewe or none can (nowadaies) with patience indure the hand and correction of God. For if any adversitie, greefe, sicknesse, losse of children, corne, cattell, or libertie happen vnto them; by & by they exclaime uppon witches. As though there were no God in Israel that ordereth all things according to his will; punishing both just and unjust with greefs, plagues, and afflictions in maner and forme as he thinketh good: but that certeine old women heere on earth, called witches, must needs be the contrivers of all mens calamities, and as though they themselves were innocents, and had deserved no such punishments. Insomuch as they sticke not to ride and go to such, as either are injuriouslie tearmed witches, or else are willing so to be accounted, seeking at their hands comfort and remedie in time of their tribulation, contrarie to Gods will and commandement in that behalfe, who bids us resort to him in all our necessities.

♦Job. 5.♦

♦Matth. 11.♦

Such faithlesse people (I saie) are also persuaded, that neither haile nor snowe, thunder nor lightening, raine nor tempestuous winds come from the heavens at the commandement of God: but are raised by the cunning and power of witches and conjurers; insomuch as a clap of thunder, or a gale of wind is no sooner heard, but either they run to ring bels, or crie out to burne witches; or else burne consecrated things, hoping by the smoke thereof, to drive the divell out of the aire, as though spirits could be fraied awaie with such externall toies: howbeit, these are right inchantments, as Brentius affirmeth.

♦In concione.♦

But certeinlie, it is neither a witch, nor divell, but a glorious God that maketh the thunder. I have read in the scriptures, that God maketh the blustering tempests and whirlewinds: and I find that it is the Lord that altogither dealeth with them, and that they blowe according to his will. But let me see anie of them all rebuke and still the sea in time of tempest, as Christ did; or raise the stormie wind, as God did with his word; and I will beleeve in them. Hath anie witch or conjurer, or anie creature entred into the treasures of the snowe; or seene the secret places of the haile, which GOD hath prepared against the daie of trouble, battell, and warre? I for my part also thinke with Jesus Sirach, that at Gods onelie commandement the snowe falleth; and that the wind bloweth according to his will, who onelie maketh all stormes to cease; and who (if we keepe his ordinances) will send us raine in due season, and make the land to bring forth hir increase, and the trees of the field to give their fruit.

♦ Psal. 25.♦

♦ Psal. 83.♦

♦ Eccles. 43.♦

♦ Luke. 8. Matth. 8.♦

♦ Mark. 4. 41. Luke. 8. 14.♦

♦ Psal. 170.♦

♦ Job. 38, 22.♦

♦Eccles. 43.♦

♦ Leviti. 26. verse. 3, 4.♦

But little thinke our witchmongers, that the Lord commandeth the clouds above, or openeth the doores of heaven, as David affirmeth; or that the Lord goeth forth in the tempests and stormes, as the Prophet Nahum reporteth: but rather that witches and conjurers are then about their businesse.

♦ Psal. 78, 23.♦

♦ Nahum. 1.♦

The Martionists acknowledged one God the authour of good things, and another the ordeiner of evill: but these make the divell a whole god, to create things of nothing, to knowe mens cogitations, and to doo that which God never did; as, to transubstantiate men into beasts, &c. Which thing if divels could doo, yet followeth it not, that witches have such power. But if all the divels in hell were dead, and all the witches in England burnt or hanged; I warrant you we should not faile to have raine, haile and tempests, as now we have: according to the appointment and will of God, and according to the constitution of the elements, and the course of the planets, wherein God hath set a perfect and perpetuall order.

I am also well assured, that if all the old women in the world were witches; and all the priests, conjurers: we should not have a drop of raine, nor a blast of wind the more or the lesse for them. For the Lord hath bound the waters in the clouds, and hath set bounds about the waters, untill the daie and night come to an end: yea it is God that raiseth the winds and stilleth them: and he saith to the raine and snowe; Be upon the earth, and it falleth. The wind of the Lord, and not the wind of witches, shall destroie the treasures of their plesant vessels, and drie up the fountaines; saith Oseas. Let us also learne and confesse with the Prophet David, that we our selves are the causes of our afflictions; and not exclaime upon witches, when we should call upon God for mercie.

♦ Job. 26, 8. Job. 37. Psalme. 135. Jer. 10 & 15.♦

♦ Ose. 13.♦

♦ Psa. 39, &c.♦

The Imperiall lawe (saith Brentius) condemneth them to death that trouble and infect the aire: but I affirme (saith he) that it is neither in the power of witch not divell so to doo, but in God onelie. Though (besides Bodin, and all the popish writers in generall) it please Danæus, Hyperius, Hemingius, Erastus, &c. to conclude otherwise. The clouds are called the pillers of Gods tents, Gods chariots, and his pavillions. And if it be so, what witch or divell can make maisteries therof? S. Augustine saith, Non est putandum istis transgressoribus angelis servire hanc rerum visibilium materiem, sed soli Deo: We must not thinke that these visible things are at the commandement of the angels that fell, but are obedient to the onelie God.

♦In epist. ad Jo. Wierum.♦

Exod. 13. Isai. 66. Ps. 18, 11. 19.

♦August. 3. de sancta Trinit.♦

Finallie, if witches could accomplish these things; what needed it seeme so strange to the people, when Christ by miracle commanded both seas and winds, &c. For it is written; Who is this? for both wind and sea obeie him.

♦ Mar. 4, 41.♦

The second Chapter.

The inconvenience growing by mens credulitie herein, with a reproofe of some churchmen, which are inclined to the common conceived opinion of witches omnipotencie, and a familiar example thereof.

But the world is now so bewitched and over-run with this fond error, that even where a man shuld seeke comfort and counsell, there shall hee be sent (in case of necessitie) from God to the divell; and from the Physician, to the coosening witch, who will not sticke to take upon hir, by wordes to heale the lame (which was proper onelie to Christ; and to them whom he assisted with his divine power) yea, with hir familiar & charmes she will take upon hir to cure the blind: though in the tenth of S. Johns Gospell it be written, that the divell cannot open the eies of the blind. And they attaine such credit as I have heard (to my greefe) some of the ministerie affirme, that they have had in their parish at one instant, xvii. or xviii. witches: meaning such as could worke miracles supernaturallie. Whereby they manifested as well their infidelitie and ignorance, in conceiving Gods word; as their negligence and error in instructing their flocks. For they themselves might understand, and also teach their parishoners, that God onelie worketh great woonders; and that it is he which sendeth such punishments to the wicked, and such trials to the elect: according to the saieng of the Prophet Haggai, I smote you with blasting and mildeaw, and with haile, in all the labours of your hands; and yet you turned not unto me, saith the Lord. And therefore saith the same Prophet in another place; You have sowen much, and bring in little. And both in Joel and Leviticus, the like phrases and proofes are used and made. But more shalbe said of this hereafter.

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