A treatise against vvitchcraft: or A dialogue, wherein the greatest doubts concerning that sinne, are briefly answered a Sathanicall operation in the witchcraft of all times is truly prooued: the moste precious preseruatiues against such euils are shewed: very needful to be knowen of all men, but chiefly of the masters and fathers of families, that they may learn the best meanes to purge their houses of all vnclean spirits, and wisely to auoide the dreadfull impieties and greate daungers which come by such abhominations. Hereunto is also added a short discourse, containing the most certen meanes ordained of God, to discouer, expell, and to confound all the Sathanicall inuentions of witchcraft and sorcerie.

2. Proposition or Minor.

That the holy ministerie of Gods word is ordained of God for this purpose, wee may see it, if aduisedly we consider the Lordes words: Deut. 18. 10, 11, 19, &c. Let none be among you that maketh his sonne or his daughter to go through the fire, &c. (& thē he addeth) the Lord God will raise thee vp a Prophet like vnto me, from among you, euen of thy brethren, vnto him shall yee hearken: vers. 19. Whosoeuer will not hearken vnto my wordes which hee shall speake in my name, I will require it of him. Here, I say, the Lord hath appointed a reme∣die for the sinnes of witchcraft and sorcerie, the ordinarie mini∣sterie of Gods worde published by his Prophets, whereunto as many as did hearken, that is, receiued it with true faith and obedi∣ence, they were freed from those Sathanicall inuentions, named in that place: for Sathans rotten mist is so scattered and discouered by the bright beaines and glorious light of Gods word, that hee can not long lurke or abide the light of that place, and therefore we read that in the darke countries where his arts were professed, there did inhabite the most idolatrous nations of al thea Gentiles, as the Egiptians, Chaldeans, Indians, Persians, Cananites, as pro∣phane histories together with the booke of God, plentifully doe testifie and record vnto vs.

2 Esay maketh the ministerie of Gods word, & of Sathans arts two professions, so opposite that he that forsaketh the one and lea∣neth vnto the other, forsaketh God, embraceth the deuill, refuseth the liuing seeking the dead, reiecteth the law & testimonie of god, & resteth vpon sathanical inuētions: & lastly, hath no light in him, but is ful of darknes: his words are these: When they shal say vnto you, enquire at them that haue a spirit of diuination, and at the soothsayers, which whisper & murmure, should not a people enquire at their God? frō

the liuing to the dead? to the law and to the testimonie, (or rather as an∣other saith) against the law and the testimonie? if they speak not accor∣ding to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

3 The Lord God promiseth his Church by the Prophet Za∣charie, that assoone as the glorious ministerie of the gospell should shine forth among men, he wold therby dispel the clouds of igno∣rance, and cut off the names of Idols out of the land, that they should no more be remembred, and cause the false prophets and the vncleane spirit to depart out of the land. And that this was performed generally in all places, wheresoeuer the powerfull ministerie of the glorious Gospel was purely receiued, Ecclesiasticall histories doe testifie for times past, and common experience can prooue for time pre∣sent, as afterward shalbe shewed.

Notes

• Vers. 5. 13.
• Luth. annot. in Deut. 18.
• a

  Cic. de Di∣uinat. lib. 1.
• Esay. 19. 3.
• Dan. 2. 2.
• Psal. 47. 12.
• Chap. 8. 19, 20.
• Tremel.
• Zach. 13. 2.