Hoplocrisma-spongus: or, A sponge to vvipe avvay the weapon-salve A treatise, wherein is proved, that the cure late-taken up amongst us, by applying the salve to the weapon, is magicall and unlawfull By William Foster Mr. of Arts, and parson of Hedgley in the county of Buckingham.

Artiticulus secundus.

Wherein is brought the Authority of Writers dis. allowing this Care, and condemning it for magicall.

THe Weapon Salve is the new inventi∣on of the divell, an old impostor. I can bring neither Plato nor Aristotle for an¦cient Philosophers, Galen nor Hippocra¦tes for Physitians, Tertull••an, Cyprian, nor Augustine for Fathers, Aquin••••, or Alexander de Hales for Schoolemen directly and expressely writing a∣gainst it. The first I found to make mention of it was Cardanus de venen•• libro 2. cap. 6. yet hee (though much given to magicke had no far∣ther knowledge of it than report, and that it was said to consist of such ingredients as he there men∣tioneth. The next was one Schenk••us, who calleth it Prodig••osa vulnerum curatio per opochrysmatis usum. A prodigious curing of wounds by the vse of the Weapon-Salue. No better commendation is given of it by Andreas Libavius, who calles it Impostoria vulnerum per unguentum armarium sanatio Para∣celsis usitata. The imposterous cure of woundes by he Weapon-Salve used by Paracelsians. The like Elog••e is given it by one ••ranciscus Tidi••••us. Calvin

also (as testifieth Rodolphus ••••clinius▪ denieth this cure to be naturall. Bartholomaeus Keckemannus saith that this Weapon-Salve is no naturall agent, but supernaturall. Not from God, nor from his holy Angels, nor miraculous, but from the divell; as shall be more at large declared hereafter. Doctor Ioan∣nes Robert•• wrote three Tracts to prove the vnlaw∣fulnesse of this cure. The first hee calles Anatome brevis tractatus novi de magnetica vulnerum curati∣one. A short Anatomie of a new tract of the mag∣neticall cure of woundes. The second is an an∣swer to R. Goclinius his Synarthrosis, which hee not vnfitly calleth Goclinius Heautontimorumenos. The third and last hee calles Curationis magnetica Impo∣s••ura; containing an answer to the pernicious dis∣putation of Ioannis Baptistae ab Helmont, a Physitian of Bruxels. To all which is added the censure of two Vniversities, Lovain & Doway, both pronoun∣cing the magneticall cure (as it is termed) of the Weapon-Salve, not to be naturall, but superstiti∣ous, magicall and diabolicall. I will conclude with the saying of Paracelsus himselfe, who speaking of the operations of this unguent, averreth that Certè haec omnia miracula & Dei dona sunt: Surely these are all miracles and the gifts of God; Therefore not naturall. But let his words sound what they will, the god which Paracelsus meaneth, was deus bujus mundi, the god of this world, 2 Cor. 4. 4. the divell, whom he too much followed, as shall anon be expressed. So that here by the authority of learned Physitians, Philosophers, Divines, and two Vniversities, the use of this unguent is condemned as prestigious and unlawfull. Wherefore seeing

(as the Apostle speaketh) We are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses. Heb. 12. 1. let those which use it, with repentance lay aside the use of it, and those which have not used it, praemoni•••• praemuniti, with caution shunne and avoyde it.

Notes

• 2
• Cardanus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 venen. 1. 2. c. 0. Ioan. Scheo••. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 observation num medica∣rum rararum novarum admirabilium & monstraosa∣rum. l. 5. pag. 801. imprest Fra•••…•••…. 160 •…•… pe•• N. Ho•••• amanum. Andr. ••ibav. Apocalipseor •…•…ermet••e•…•… pars prio. c 22. pag. ••. ••. im∣press. Franc••••. 1615. Fran. T••••••…••••••… The•••…•••… p. 278. &c.
• R Goclin. Sy∣narth. pag. 20. Barth Rocker∣man Syst Phys. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. c. 9. pag. 74. 75. 7••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ioan. Ro∣bert. Anatom. ter••m, ••ess. Trevir. d〈…〉〈…〉de Lovani. ult〈…〉〈…〉 Luxco. burg. 1618. G〈…〉〈…〉. Heau∣tontimo. im∣presse. Luxemb. 1618. Magn. curati∣onis Impostura impress. Lux∣emburg. 1621. Belgicarum Academiarum de Helmonti▪ Doct. judici∣um, anne••um. Doctoris Ioan. Rober. magnet: Cu•••• Impo∣ctur••••. pag. 97. 98. 99. & 100. Paracel. A••∣chidox. Mag. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. pag. 121.
• 2 Cor. 4. 4.
• Heb. 12. 1.