A discourse of the subtill practises of deuilles by vvitches and sorcerers By which men are and haue bin greatly deluded: the antiquitie of them: their diuers sorts and names. With an aunswer vnto diuers friuolous reasons which some doe make to prooue that the deuils did not make those aperations in any bodily shape. By G. Gyfford.

The true remedy whereby men are deliuered from all feare and daunger of witchcraft. Chapt. 12.

MEn are glad to finde a medicine that will driue a∣way & rid them off an ague: how much gladder would they bee to finde a present remedy to pre∣serue them safe & frée from the feare off all ima∣gined hurt and danger which cometh by witch∣craft▪ but it is a merueilous thing to sée in what feare men are and yet will not imbrace y^• wholsome remedy which the Lord hath prescribed: they séeke many meanes, & that with cost and trauell, but yet they are neuer the better: for if they finde some ease vnto the body, it is with the losse of y^• soule: the deuill him∣selfe did inuent those medicines which they fly vnto, for God neuer appointed them, is he so foolishe as to make weapons a∣gainst

himself? if they be vexed or hanted with a spirit (as they vse to say) & a witch driue him out, it is the deuil y^t driueth him out, if he be indéede driuen out. But the trueth is, he is not: for Satan doth not driue out Satan. Put the case that one deuill did expell another, what comfort could it be vnto the possessed, more then this, that a weaker deuill is driuen out of him to giue place to a stronger: For the stronger deuill would neuer expell the weaker, vnlesse it were to enter there himselfe. To let this passe, it will be demaunded where there is any remedie prescribed by the Lord against witcherie? The Lord saith he would raise vp a Prophet vnto the people Deut. 18. Those which giue eare vnto him shalbe safe. Some man will say that is but in this one poynt, that he shall not be deceiued by such as wrought by the deuil, nor led into error. But where is there any remedie mentioned to preserue a man from the bodily harmes done by Witches? I aunswer, that it were a straunge thing for the holy Scriptures to appoynt a medicine for such a disease as it neuer mentioneth. The word of the Lord doth neuer mention that Witches can hurt the bodie at all: & ther∣fore it doth no where prescribe any remedie for that which is not. The malignant spirits or wicked deuils, doe hurt both bodies and soules: and therefore there is a way taught how to be frée from thē: They haue no increase of power by a Witch: but only thus much, that for the iust vengeaunce of God vpon the vngodly, the is glad to bee sent, and obteyneth power: but he that is armed against them alone, is armed against both witch and them. Against them there is no power can preuaile, but the power of God. Therefore when the holy Apostle doth set men in battell against deuils, he willeth them to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. This mightie po∣wer of God is made ours onely by faith. For which cause S. Iohn saith that faith is our victorie. He that beléeueth doth o∣uercome the world: which cannot bee vnlesse he doe ouercome the prince of the world. This faith is the free gift of God: but yet because he hath ordeyned outward meanes to come vnto it, we are willed to take vnto vs all the whole armour of God

wherein this might consisteth. And to the end that the exhor∣tation may the more affect vs, Saint Paule doth expresse the whole matter vnder the likenesse and termes of warre. For thereby appeareth that there is néede of Gods power, that we may escape out of the great perrill. The Apostle as a chiefe Captaine in the Lords Armie, doth stirre vp and prepare all Christian souldiers. He sheweth who be the enemies. He de∣clareth their terror in sundrie respects. But yet vndoubted vic∣torie vnto all those which followe his prescript. All the power of God wherewith wee resist and ouercome the deuill, is con∣ueyed into vs by faith alone. But because he speaketh as of a souldier in his compleat armour, he applieth but one part vn∣to faith, and the rest vnto those things which doe goe vnsepe∣rably with faith. The souldier had his head and all parts of his bodie with his legges and feete armed: then had he his sword in his right hand, and his shield in the left. Euen so in this spi∣rituall armour applyed by similitude vnto the soule, here is ar∣mour for the head, for the feet and legges, and for al the whole bodie, and then the shield of faith to hold foorth in the one hand, and the spirituall sword which is the word of God in the other hand. The summe of the whole is, that by faith in the Gospell of Iesus Christ we are armed with power of grace, with true knowledge and light, with sincere integritie of heart, and with a godly life, with zeale, with patience, and with all other hea∣uenly vertues, so that the fierie darts of the deuill, neither in tempting vnto filthie sinnes, nor yet in damnable heresies and opinions, can fasten vpon vs. If wee want the true faith, wee want grace: we be not in Christ, we haue not his spirit. This faith is grounded vpon the word of God: for the word is sent to bee preached, that men may heare and beléeue. If men bée ignorant in the word of God, they cannot haue power to resist the deuill: they haue no sword to fight with him. Christ our great Captaine hath left vnto vs an example which we ought to follow, when he resisted the deuill. For at euery temptation, he draweth foorth this same spirituall sworde, and saith it is written, and so woundeth Satan therewith, that he taketh the

foyle. Moreouer, as men are to bee armed with the power of GOD, so are they continually to pray, for by faithfull prayer they shall obtaine a continuall supplie of grace, to ouercome the new and fresh assalts of the deuill. We are to giue thanks also vnto God at all tymes for his benefites, to depend vppon his prouidence, to commend vnto his keeping both our soules and bodies, and all that we possesse. Thus shall the deuill haue no power for to hunt vs: but if the Lord doe giue him leaue to afflict vs, yet shal it be no further then may tend vnto our good. For all things worke together for good vnto those which doe loue God. Let it mooue vs to seeke increase of faith, by often hearing of Gods word taught: let it driue vs vnto continuall* 1.1 meditation in the same, and vnto a godly life. For all those which despise the glorious Gospell of Christ, or the publishing of the same, and most especially such as fight against it, doe to their power set vp the kingdome of the deuill, and bring in all witcherie. The light of the Gospell doth beate him downe: and therefore when Christ sent foorth his Disciples at the first to preach, and they returning reioyced, that euen the deuilles were made subiect vnto them: he saith, I saw Satan fall downe from heauen like lightning. The Lord send abroad the light of his truth to throw downe Satan, and to driue away darknes from the mindes of the people.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rom. 8.