Part 10

So having sufficiently disproved their supposition or assumption, that Nebuchadnezzar was essentially transformed into a beast, we shall also shew the consequence that (if it had been true) they would draw from it, to wit, that if Nebuchadnezzar were really transformed into a beast, much more may the Devil transform himself into the shape of any Creature, and may change Witches into Cats, Dogs, Hares, and the like, which can by no true Rules of Argument be good, because it stands upon divers, or rather contrary efficients, namely God and the Devil. The one having of himself an absolute and indeterminate power, and therefore of himself able to work what he will, where, when, and howsoever best pleaseth himself. And so by consequence he might (if it had so seemed good in his wisdom) have essentially transformed Nebuchadnezzar into an ox. The other (the Devil I mean) he hath only a finite and limited power, and therefore utterly unable of himself to accomplish any one work beyond the bounds of that power: and so by consequence he cannot possibly transform himself essentially into any Creature whatsoever, without a special power from God. Lastly we shall conclude all with this binding Argument: what transubstantiations soever are wrought, the thing transformed ceases to be what it was before, both in nature, and properties, as Lots Wife being transubstantiated into a Pillar of Salt, did cease to be flesh, blood, and bones, as she was before, and lost all the properties of humane Nature. So if Devils or Witches be transubstantiated into other Creatures, they cease to be what they were before both in Nature and Properties. And then by consequence the Devil should cease to be a Devil in Nature and Properties, and the Witches should cease to have humane Nature and Properties in them.

Having laid down these positive Arguments, we shall in the next place shew the horrid absurdities of these Tenents, to wit, of holding a visible Contract, that the Devil sucks upon the Witches bodies, that they have carnal Copulation together, or that they are essentially changed into Cats, Dogs, or Hares, or that they can flye in the air, or raise storms or tempests, and kill men or Cattel, and the like, and that in this order.

1. These Tenents do derogate from the Wisdom and Power of God in his Government of the World by divine Providence, because by these it is supposed that the Devils and Witches do operate what, when, and howsoever it pleaseth them, and so the life and estate of all Creatures should be in their power to afflict, torment, or to destroy when they please, which is both false and blasphemous. For the Devils and wicked men are enemies and rebels against God, but yet conquered, and imprisoned, and chained close up by his Almighty Power, that they are not able to act any thing at all (except the evil of their own wills) nor put that into execution, but as far as God doth license and order them, which we shall make plain in these two particulars. 1. The Devils are kept, in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day, that is, though their wills be corrupt, wicked, and evil, and that they have a continual desire, like a roaring lion, to seek whom they may devour; yet are they restrained from acting this evil, by the mighty Power of God, and can execute nothing at all, but only as far as God doth order and command them: so the Devils could not by their own power enter into the herd of Swine, until Christ gave to them leave: neither could Satan hurt Job either in his goods or body (though he strongly and earnestly desired it) until he had leave and commission given him from God. No more can Devils or Witches perform these things that are pretended; for it can never be proved that ever God did, or will give them order or leave to perform any such filthy or wicked thing, for which there can be no reason or end assigned why God should order such things to be done, so far different and opposite to the rules of his Justice, Wisdom, and Providence. 2. Nor can wicked persons act what they please, but God doth bridle and restrain them as he pleaseth; for though Pilate proudly thought and boasted that he had power to condemn Christ, or to let him loose, yet our Saviour tells him: Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Upon which place learned Dr. Hammond saith thus: “So that thou hast neither right nor power to inflict any punishment on me, were it not that God, who is my Father, hath in his great Wisdom and divine Counsels, for most glorious ends, for the good of the World, determined to deliver me up into thy power to suffer death under thee.” Of which another saith thus: Verba hæc duobus modis accipi possunt: partim quia omnis potestas est à Deo, & divinâ ordinatione; partim quia qui cum potestate est, nihil planè potest, nisi ex Dei efficaci dispensatione ac providentia. So this is manifest in the excessive pride and boasting of Sennacherib of his own power, and taking no notice of Gods inevitable Decree in his Providence, that it was he, even the Lord of Hosts that had done it, and of ancient times had formed it, without which Sennacherib could have done nothing; but because he despised Gods Power and Providence, therefore saith the Lord: Therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back, by the way by which thou camest, which was performed by the slaughter of his Army, and the sending him back into his own Country: so little do mens purposes and counsels prevail, when the Lords will and purpose are against them.

2. These Tenents do divert and obstruct the power and practice of Godliness: For while the Saints of God are taught, that they are to fight the good fight of Faith; and if they intend to be crowned, they must fight stoutly, and gain the victory, knowing, that they fight not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places, and that therefore they are to take unto them the whole Armour of God: Therefore they knowing that this warfare is spiritual, and against spiritual enemies, and that the weapons both offensive and defensive are also spiritual; therefore they ought always spiritually to watch and stand upon their guard, lest their subtile and cruel enemy the Devil take them unawares, or by his Stratagems surprize them. For he is that old crafty Serpent, that hath innumerable wiles, and while he intendeth one thing, he pretendeth another; and like a cunning Enemy, gives a false Alarm at the one side of the Camp, while he assaulteth another, or making false fires or shews he seemeth to march away, when in the dark of the night he intendeth to fall on. So lest the Christian should be watchful and prevail, he laboureth by false Teachers, which are the Magicians and Sorcerers in the Mystery, to draw them from their vigilancy, by possessing their minds with these lying Tenents, that the Devil comes in the shape of a Cat or a Dog to a Witch, and bargains with her, and the rest, that whilst they are set at gaze to look for him in a bodily shape, they are made negligent in their spiritual watch, and so are diverted from the spiritual combate, and thereby the power and practice of Godliness is diverted and obstructed. Therefore we are to give heed unto the counsel of the Holy Ghost; to resist the Devil in his spiritual assaults with the spiritual weapons that God bestows upon us, and not to give heed to old Wives Fables, or the false Doctrine of Witchmongers, that make us watch for the Devil where he is not, and in the mean time not to resist him where he is, and that is within effectively in a spiritual manner, for he worketh in the children of disobedience, and therefore a Devil within us is more to be feared, than a Devil without us.

3. These Tenents do uphold that horrid, lying, and blasphemous opinion, that our blessed Saviour did cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils: For when they could not deny, nor disprove the plain and open matters of fact, that our Saviour did really cast out Devils, then they devilishly invented and vented, that though he did so, yet it was but by the help of the Prince of Devils, with whom he had a compact, and so wrought by the greater power to over-power the less. Concerning which Mr. Glanvil is pleased to tell us this: “In his return to which he denies not the supposition or possibility of the thing in general, but clears himself by an appeal to the actions of their own children, whom they would not tax so severely.” But by Mr. Glanvils leave we must affirm, that though it be a bold assertion, yet it is not true; for our Saviour doth absolutely confute the supposition both in the general, and also in reference to himself, by shewing the absurdities of it, and that by these Arguments.

1. They supposed that the Devils had a Prince or a Ruler that was able to cast out Devils that were his Subjects, and inferior unto him, to which his answer is: Every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation, and every City or house divided against it self cannot stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself, how shall then his Kingdom stand? Upon which a most learned Author doth thus paraphrase: “If any King mean to uphold his Kingdom, he will not quarrel and fall out with his own Subjects, and cast them out, which are doing him service; such divisions and civil dissentions as these will soon destroy his Kingdom, and therefore cannot probably be affirmed of any prudent Ruler or Prince. And Satans casting out Devils which are about his business (possessing those he would have possest) would be such a civil dissention as this, and a breach.” From whence he necessarily concludeth, that either Satan doth not cast out Satan, or else that his Kingdom is divided, and cannot stand, but come to desolation. But Satans Kingdom is not destroyed nor brought to desolation; therefore it is not divided against it self, and consequently Satan doth not cast out Satan. Of this passage Theophylact saith: Quomodo enim Dæmones seipsos ejiciunt, quum magis inter se conveniant? Satan autem dicitur adversarius. And to the same purpose is that of S. Chrysostom: Si divisus est, imbecillior factus est, & perit: si autem perit, qualiter potest alium projicere?

2. Our Saviour saith further: And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? For as the fore-cited Author saith: “Why may not I cast out Devils by the Power and in the Name of God, as well as your Disciples and Country-men, the Jews among you (who being evil are therefore more obnoxious to suspicion of holding correspondence with Satans Kingdom) do, at least pretend to do. When they in the Name of God go about to cast them out, you affirm it to be the Power of God, and so do I. Why should you not believe that of me, which you affirm of your own?” Si expulsio (saith S. Hierom) Dæemonum in filiis vestris Deo, non Dæmonibus deputatur, quare in me idem opus non eandem habeat & causam?

3. Christ further urgeth: But if I cast out Devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come upon you or unto you. “But if it be indeed by the Power of God, that I do all this, then it is clear, that although you were not aware of it, yet this is the time of the Messias, whose Mission God hath testified with these Miracles, and would not have done so, if it had been a false Christ.” So that he seemeth to conclude thus: “You Scribes and Pharisees seem to acknowledge, that there are real possessions by Devils, and that they may be thrown out, either by the Power of God or the power of Satan. But I have shewed the absurdity, that Satan doth not cast out the Devils his obedient Subjects that are doing his service; and therefore that what I do must be by the finger of God, and that must certainly denote unto you, that his Kingdom is come, and that I am the Messias.”

4. He proceedeth: Or else how can one enter into a strong mans house, and spoil his goods? except he first bind the strong man, and then he will spoil his house. “My dispossessing Satan of his goods, and turning him out of those whom he possesses, is an argument that I have mastered him, and so that I do not use his power, but that mine is greater than his, and imployed most against his will, and to his damage.” Quòd enim (as saith a learned Father) non potest Satanas Satanam ejicere, manifestum ex dictis est: sed quoniam neq; alius potest eum ejicere, nisi priùs eum superaverit, omnibus est manifestum: Constituitur ergo quod & anteà, cum manifestiori abundantia. Dicit enim: Tantum absisto ab hoc quòd utar Diabolo Coadjutore, quòd prælior cum eo, & ligo eum: Et hujus conjectura est, quòd vasa ejus diripio. Et sic contrarium ejus quod illi tentabant dicere, demonstrat. Illi enim volebant ostendere, quòd non propriâ virtute ejecit Dæmones. Ipse autem ostendit, quòd non solùm Dæmones, sed & eorum Principem ligavit: quod manifestum est ab his quæ facta sunt. Qualiter enim Principe non victo, hi qui subjacent Dæmones direpti sunt?

5. Lastly he concludeth: He that is not with me, is against me: And he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad. “And it’s proverbially known” (saith Dr. Hammond) “that he that is not on ones side, that brings Forces into the field, and is not for a mans assistance, he is certainly for his Enemy, engages against him, doth him hurt; and consequently my casting out Devils, shews that I am Satans declared Enemy.” By all which arguments he flatly overthrows the false supposition of the Pharisees.

4. These Tenents do overthrow the chief Articles of the Christian Faith, to wit, the rational and infallible evidence of the Resurrection of Christ in the same individual and numerical body in which he suffered: and this we shall elucidate in these particular Considerations.

1. The whole strength of the Christian Religion consists in the certainty of Christs Resurrection in his true and individual body. For as the Apostle argueth: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain: yea and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God, that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ risen. And if Christ be not risen, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then also they which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. So that all these sad consequences must needs follow, and the whole Christian Religion be found a lye, if Christ be not truly risen from the dead.

2. And though the Apostle do enumerate sufficient Witnesses of his Resurrection and appearance after death, and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the Twelve, after that he was seen of above five hundred Brethren at once, then of James, then of all the Apostles, and lastly of himself: Yet all this Cloud of Witnesses will prove little, but dissolve into vapour, if there were or are either Angels or Spirits, that in their own or assumed bodies, may appear in his form, shape, and likeness, and to sight and tangibility be in all properties as his body was, to have flesh and bones, the print of the nails in the hands and feet, and to eat and drink.

3. That the Apostles held the opinion, that there was Apparitions and Spirits that did shew themselves in any form or likeness, is most plain and evident; for when they saw Christ walking upon the Sea, they supposed it had been a Spirit or Apparition, for the Greek is φάντασμα, and cryed out. That is, either being cruelly affrighted and amazed, their Phantasies did represent strange thoughts in their minds: or else (which doubtless was the truth) seeing Christ walking upon the Sea, which they thought was not possible for a man to do without sinking or drowning, they in great fear cryed out, and forgetting his former Miracles, did vainly suppose it some Spirit that had made an apparition in his likeness. But it is most strange, that the Disciples that had seen and been eye-witnesses of so many Miracles wrought by him during his life, and those that accompanied him at his death, as the renting of the veil of the Temple from the top to the bottom, and the Earth-quake, and the renting of the Rocks, and the Darkness that was over the Land from the sixth hour unto the ninth; and that after his Resurrection the Graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints that slept arose, and came out of the Graves, and went into the holy City, and appeared unto many, of which they could not be ignorant; It is (I say) most wondrous strange, that after all these they could doubt of the verity of his Resurrection, and imagine that it was a Spirit in his form and likeness. And most especially, considering that his Sepulchre was made sure, the stone sealed, and a Watch set to attend it, of which they could not be ignorant; and likewise the certain affirmation and evidence of the two Maries, from the mouth of the Angel, and their own sight who worshipped him, and held him by the feet, and Peters finding the Sepulchre empty, and his appearing to the two Disciples that went to Emmaus, and yet for all this at his next appearance, not to be satisfied, but to be terrified and affrighted, and to suppose they had seen a Spirit, is beyond all wonder, but that doubtless the heavenly Father had so ordained it in his inscrutable Wisdom, that the infallible certainty of his Resurrection might be more evidently and punctually proved. For at his next appearing, when they were all together, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed they had seen a Spirit, there the word is πνεῦμα. Now the cause of this supposing that they had seen a Spirit, doubtless was because as St. John tells us, That Jesus twice had stood in the midst of them, the doors being shut, because of the Jews, and therefore they could not possibly imagine, that he could have a body that could make penetration of dimensions, not considering that he had an omnipotent Power, and therefore nothing could be impossible unto him. Though it may well be conceived to be done without penetration of dimensions, because by his Almighty Power he might imperceptibly both open and shut the doors, and so enter, and suddenly stand in the midst of them, and no humane sense be able to discern it. But however it was, the Disciples did not then believe that it was Christ with his individual body in which he suffered, but either (as some of the Fathers believed) that it was his very Spirit that he yielded up upon the Cross, that appeared in his figure or shape, that was so pure, fine, and penetrable, that it could pass through any Medium, though never so dense or solid: or some other Spirit that assumed his form and shape, which is far more probable and sound. But howsoever it was, they did believe that it was some Spirit in his likeness, and not he himself, in that very numerical body in which he suffered, as may be apparently gathered from the words of Thomas called Didymus, who strongly affirmed, saying: Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

4. To the grounds of all these doubts our Saviour gives a demonstrative and infallible solution, which we shall explain in these particulars. 1. He doth not at all deny the existence or beings of Spirits; neither that Spirits do not, or cannot make visible apparitions: but doth grant both. 2. But he restrains these apparitions to those inseparable properties that belong to Bodies and Spirits, that is, a body (that is to say an humane body) hath flesh and bones, but a Spirit hath neither, as Christs or humane bodies have; and therefore saith a learned Person upon the place: Docet se non esse Spiritum hoc modo: Spiritus, inquit, non habet carnem & ossa. Ego verò, ut conspicitis, habeo carnem & ossa: Ergo ego non sum Spiritus. Vide igitur ex sensu & sensibilibus: sensu nimirum visus; sensu tactus: ex visibilibus & tractabilibus se corpus esse non autem Spiritum edocet. Per sensum enim fides & gignitur & confirmatur. So that whether Spirits be taken to be corporeal (and so appear in their own bodies) or to be incorporeal (and so to appear in assumed bodies) yet are they both to sight, and especially to feeling, not as humane bodies are that have flesh and bones. So that however they do, may or can appear (for it must be considered in that latitude, else our Saviours argument would not be irrefragable and convincing) they to the resistibility of touching cannot be as flesh and bones are, for they to the sense of touching do resist, and are solid, but so the bodies of Spirits in what appearance soever have not, nor can have, otherwise our Saviours argument falls to the ground, and proves nothing. 3. He confirmeth this by the Disciples own proof of feeling and touching the prints or scars of the nails in his hands, and the print of the wound in his side, and thereby manifesteth that it was he himself, and the very same individual body in which he suffered, by which Thomas his great unbelief and doubting was unanswerably satisfied, by putting his fingers into or upon the very prints of the nails, and by putting his hand into or upon the wound or scar upon his side. And therefore though the same power that raised him from the dead, and rouled the sealed stone from the Sepulchre, could have perfected his body to be without prints or scars of the wounds; yet did the divine Wisdom reserve them, thereby to cure the infidelity of his Disciples, and undeniably to confirm the truth of his Resurrection; to which purpose one said well: Ibi ad dubitantium corda sananda, vulnerum sunt servata vestigia. And the further to establish and settle their Faith, he took a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb, and eat before them; all which concluded him to have a true body, and that he was not a Spirit: from whence we draw these conclusions.

1. That howsoever Spirits do or may appear, they have not, or can have such a body, that in respect of tangibility, is as flesh and bones. For flesh and bones are dense, solid, and make sensible resistance to the touch; but the bodies of Spirits in their apparitions are not, nor can be so. For as we deny not but there are and may be apparitions in any figure or shape, yet they can but be as the figures and shapes in the Clouds, which are often seen, and cause much wonder, though (we suppose) many of them may be rather attributed to the assimilation made in mens fancies, than to their real existence in those forms or shapes. So they may be as shadows, or the species of bodies that we see near or afar off, or as the images that we behold of our selves and other things in Mirrours or Looking-glasses: which though without doubt they be not non-entities, for nullius entis nulla est operatio, but these affect the senses, which is an operation or action; yet do they all easily yield to the touch, and have no firmness nor solidity, as flesh and bones have; and this is all that can be justly deduced from our Saviours argumentation.

2. Either we must believe that our Saviours argument is of no force and validity, which is blasphemous and horrid to affirm or imagine, he being the way, the truth, and the life, and in whose mouth there was found no guile, and thereby overthrow the whole foundation of the Christian Religion: or else we must for certain believe that Spirits whensoever they appear have no such solidity or resistibility as to touch, as flesh and bones have. And consequently that what strange things soever we may by sight and touch take to be the apparitions of Spirits, that to touch have the solidity of flesh and bones, we must conclude that they are not Spirits, but must be some other kind of Creatures, of whose nature and properties we are to inquire; for doubtless (as we shall manifest hereafter) there are many strange Creatures, that for their rarity or strange qualities, have been and are mistaken for the apparition of Spirits. For the Disciples doubts must still have remained unsatisfied, if Spirits could appear to have bodies to touch, of that solidity that flesh and bones are of, and then the truth of our Saviours Resurrection falls to the ground, and the Christian Faith is vain.

3. Therefore that Demons do appear in the shape of Dogs, Cats, and the like, and do carry the heavy bodies of Witches in the air, do suck upon their bodies, and have carnal copulation with them, must suppose them to have bodies as solid and tangible as flesh and bones: and so overthrow the main proof of our Saviours Resurrection, and consequently the very foundation of the Christian Religion; For if Christ be not risen our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins, and are of all men most miserable, as having only hope in this life, and no further. And this is sufficient to shew the horrid and execrable absurdity of these opinions; which objection Mr. Glanvil calls spiteful and mischievous, but durst not undertake the solution, but with a plain shuffle leaves and over-runs it, as indeed being too hard a morsel for his tender teeth.

And if any do object (as we have heard some do) that three Angels did appear unto Abraham in the Plains of Mamre, as he sate in the Tent-door, and did eat and drink, and washed their feet, and therefore that they had flesh and bones; to that we return this responsion.

1. It is a very froward and perverse way of arguing, to make one place of Scripture to clash with another, when they ought all to be expounded according to the Analogy of faith, and it is a perfect Harmony which we ought to labour to find out and rejoyce in.

2. It is no perfect way of arguing from the Dispensations in the time of the Patriarchs and Prophets, to those that God useth now in the time of the Gospel; for so they might argue that God should answer by Urim and Thummim, because he did so in the time of the Levitical Priesthood, but that is now ceased, and the Apostle tells us: God at sundry times, and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets: But in these last days he hath spoken by his Son unto us. So though God did then vouchsafe to make himself manifest unto the Patriarchs by the visible appearance of Angels: yet it is no rational consequence that he doth so now in these days.

3. It is manifest, that though they were in number three, yet it is true that it was Jehovah that appeared unto Abraham, and Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do. Now we do not find that the word Jehovah is communicable to any Creature, but only to God himself; and therefore the best Expositors do understand (notwithstanding what Pererius doth say to the contrary) that one of them was Christ the second Person in the Trinity, who after was to take humane nature upon him, and therefore did so appear.

4. However these Angels had with them the assistance of a divine and omnipotent Power, which cannot rationally be affirmed of the common and ordinary apparitions of Demons to Witches, and therefore doth conclude nothing against what we have laid down before.

CHAP. VI.

That divers places in Scripture have been mis-translated thereby to uphold this horrid Opinion of the Devils Omnipotency, and the Power of Witches, when there is not one word that signifieth a familiar Spirit or a Witch in that sense that is vulgarly intended.

Concerning the words in the Hebrew and Greek, that are commonly alledged to prove these things, they have been wrested and drawn to uphold these Tenents by those Translators that had imbibed these Opinions, and so instead of following the true and genuine signification of the words, they haled them to make good a preconceived Opinion, and did not simply and plainly render them as they ought to have been. Which hath been observed by divers, especially by Wierus, who got the learned Masius (a great Hebrician) to interpret them, of which he hath given a full account, which was followed by Mr. Scot. As also Mr. Ady, who hath perfectly rendred them according to the Translation of Junius and Tremellius, and likewise Mr. Wagstaff hath prettily opened the most of them. So that our attempt here might seem to be superfluous and unnecessary, and may be condemned of arrogance and vain confidence. To which we reply, That it is far from us to compare our selves with those Learned men that were Masters of the Hebrew and Greek Tongues, being in comparison but a Smatterer in those Languages, yet have in our younger years both studied and taught them to others, and as far as we undertake, we hope we need not fear the censure of the most rigid Critick; intending to note some things that others have omitted, and to handle them to the full, which others have but done briefly. And this we shall prosecute in this order.

1. We shall take the words in the same order as they are recited in Deuteronomy, and the first mentioned is in these words: There shall not be found among you that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire. Now here we shall not enter upon that great Dispute, whether they really burned and sacrificed by burning their children unto Moloch, or that they only dedicated them to that Idol, by making them pass through the fire; but examine the reasons, why those that practised this kind of Idolatry are ranked amongst the Diviners or Witches, and were to have the same punishment, seeing it is no where mentioned, that these used any kind of Divination at all, and these we conceive to be the chief.

1. The Lord had promised his People to raise them up a Prophet from amongst their Brethren like unto Moses, and that therefore they should hear him, and not go after other Gods or Idols. And therefore he sent them many and divers Prophets, of whom they were to inquire: so likewise they gave the Priest order to inquire by Urim and Thummim, by which he gave answers, and therefore they were to hearken to his Ordinances, and not to follow after other strange Gods: For the Nations that he cast out had hearkened unto Observers of times and Diviners, but they were not to do so. And though these that caused their children to pass through the fire unto Moloch, used not Divinations, yet it was a wicked and abominable Ceremony, and the use and end of it to lead the people to Idolatry, and therefore is reckoned amongst the rest.