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 1 Chapter.

I Am not ignorant touching this one point, that the discouery, and laying open of Satans wylines which hee practiseth by witchcraft, is a mat∣ter of no small difficulty, the reason is manifest, and without all contro∣uersie to bee admitted, which doth proue the same: for if politike wise men can dig so deepe to hide theyr counsels and intents, that no man can espie them: how shall wee discry the practise of deuils, who are far more deepe and subtil, and can couer their sleights and false conueiances more craftily then men▪ let no man therefore suppose that I take vpon me, or professe so great skil as to vncouer and make ma∣nifest, as it were the groundworke of those treacheries which he practiseth by Sorcerers and Witches. The very truth is, I haue not curiously serched them out, nether do I accompt it the labour •…•…est spent. I only purpose so far to open Satans packe, and to make shew of so many of his false and counter∣fait wares, as may instruct the simple sort to discerne the bet∣ter and to iudge of all the rest, which I trust euery modest and sober mynd wil allow to bee in some measure sufficient. Se∣ing we haue this aduantage, that wee are most sure that al his finest stuffe is no better then his coursest wares, because that all his doings are for naughty and wicked purpose, howsoeuer they may seeme to bee profitable. Whereas then the light of

Gods word doth dispell the thicke darknes wherwith this slie enemie hydeth himselfe, and manifesteth his most pestiferous and deadly poison in some thinges, let it bee a sufficient war∣ning for all his doinges, without further examination. I am moued to deale with this matter, (and I wish it were dealt throughly in by such as are fully able) for this consideration, that I see many through ignorance of such things are greatly ouerreached by Satan, and so entangled and snared with er∣rors, that they fal into very foule and horrible sinnes: those that vnderstand the Latine tonge, may very wel satisfy themselues with that which wearines with great iudgement and trauell hath written touching this argument, I haue not seene any that haue written in our tong, which lead not into error on the one side or the other: for there be extremities on both sides in∣to which men do fall. The most part haue bene besotted, euen such as did take themselues to be very wise: for they haue ve∣rely beleued that witches could do great wonders, ascribing such power vnto deuils as belongeth onely to God. Others there bee which do stifly maintaine (but how wisely let it ap∣peare) that all witchcraft spoken of, either in the holy Scri∣ptures, or testifyed by other writers to haue bene among the heathen, or in thee latter dayes, hath bene, and is no more but either more cosenage, or poisoning: so that in the opinion of these men, the deuill hath neuer done, nor can do any thing by witches and sorceres. It may be some man wil obiect, and say, what hurt can grow from this opinion? Who can tell what hurt wil ensue and grow thereof, vnlesse he saw first somewhat by experience, this we all do see, that one carnell of wheat be∣ing sowen, doth grow vp and bring forth a whole eare, with an hundreth carnels in it sometyme. If one error be planted, who can tell what increase it may yeeld in tyme? the grownd doth not bring forth the corne with such increase, as mans hart doth errors. If a man draw in one linke of a chaine, another follo∣weth and is by and by in sight, which draweth wee know not how many after it, vntil we see the last. There is no error that goeth alone, or that is not linked vnto other. The holy Scri∣ptures

(which make the man of God perfect, and perfectly in∣structed vnto enery good worke) are for to iudge and to decide all controuersie in this case. I will therefore onely sticke vnto them for testimonie and proofe.