The admirable history of the posession and conuersion of a penitent woman Seduced by a magician that made her to become a witch, and the princesse of sorcerers in the country of Prouince, who was brought to S. Baume to bee exorcised, in the yeare 1610, in the moneth of Nouember, by the authority of the reuerend father, and frier, Sebastian Michaëlis, priour of the couent royall of S. Magdalene at Saint Maximin, and also of the said place of Saint Baume. Who appointed the reuerend father, Frier Francis Domptius, Doctor of Diuinity, in the Vniuersity of Louaine, ... for the exorcismes and recollection of the acts. All faithfully set down, and fully verified. Wherunto is annexed a pneumology, or discourse of spirits made by the said father Michaëlis, ... Translated into English by W.B.

A DISCOVRSE OF SPIRITS, CONTAINING WHATSOEVER IS NECES∣sary for the more full vnderstanding and resolution of the difficult Ar∣gument of Sorcerers.

CHAP. I. Whither there be Spirits or no: There are foure points to be obserued touching Spirits: that there are Spirits; what their nature is, from whence they came; and the end why they are.

TOuching the first point; it is an ordinarie method in all things which men are de∣sirous to comprehend, first to search into their causes: otherwise they shall not want occasions to remaine vnresolued and doubtfull, and their spirits will not cease to be full of discontentment and perplexitie. For this is the na∣ture of man,* 1.1 especially when hee seeth vnusuall and ex∣traordinary effects; as is cleere by the example of coun∣trie people, set downe and expressed by Aristotle; who when they see an eclipse of the Sunne or Moone, they are presently stricken with admiration, like vnto the Children of Israel,* 1.2 who wondred at the new foode of Manna, and demanded what it was. And such kindes of admiration (saith Aristotle) haue been the seed-plot, and head of all Philosophie: for those spirits that had a

touch of generousnes and industrie, did presently en∣deuour to comprehend the cause of those vnusuall e∣uents. The like course of proceeding is here to bee ob∣serued, and the rather, because it seemeth so much the more admirable and incredible by how much the more distant the knowledge and experience thereof is from the best and soundest part of men. We are therefore to diue into the causes, which when we once shall steddi∣ly comprehend, it will easily bow and incline our vn∣derstandings to the beleefe of those things, and make vs conceiue them not only to be possible, but of a more ordinarie frequencie then hath hitherto bin beleeued. And in regard that Spirits are the cause of these euents; wee are first to know, whither there are Spirits, or no. There are three sorts of men that haue denied Spirits: the first are Philosophers; the second are the Sadduces, and the third are Atheists. Touching Aristotle the prince of Philosophers,* 1.3 hee is of opinion, that there is one supreme cause not tyed to the pressure and incum∣brance of a bodie:* 1.4 And he sets downe 47. Spirits subor∣dinate to that supreme cause, according to the number of motions, which he obserued in the celestiall Orbes of heauen, thinking with himselfe that those heauenly bo∣dies could not so ordinately moue, vnlesse they were animated and quickened thereunto by some Spirits of life. Now whither hee had stolne this out of the holie Scripture, (or at the least had borrowed it from his Ma∣ster Plato, who might take it from thence) because it is said in Ezekiel,* 1.5 speaking of the celestiall bodies, which are there called wheeles, Spiritus vitae erat in rotis; or whether hee had inuented the same by the collections which his experience had made from his frequent ob∣seruing of them, I cannot tell; but surely he said truth, except where hee seemeth by exclusion to shut out the rest, as if there were no more then those that he recited. Wherein he might consider,* 1.6 that if those Spirits were necessarie for the vniforme and vncessant motions of

the Spheares, and by a consequent for the seruice of man, Qui est quodammodo finis omnium, much more is it conuenient, that this first and supreme cause, whom hee calleth the alone Prince of all things,* 1.7 should be waited on with an infinite number of them, for his owne vse and seruice. Whereunto agreeth that of Daniel, who teacheth vs, that a 1.8 Millia millium ministrabant ei▪ & de∣cies centena millia assistebant ei: Thousand thousands ministred vnto him, and tenne thousand times tenne thousand stood before him. Whereof Dauid giueth the naturall reason, saying,* 1.9 Ministrieius vt faciant volun∣tatem eius: and this doth tacitely agree with the say∣ing of Ezechiel: Spiritus vitae erat in rotis.* 1.10 Mercurius Trismegistus, as S. Thomas recites him, doth determi∣nately denie that there are good Spirits, except those who wheele about the heauens: And in this he agreeth with Aristotle, although hee was a better Diuine then the other, because he yeeldeth, that God did make and create them, which Aristotle seemed to deny, who fra∣meth to himselfe an eternitie euen of thistles and but∣ter-flyes:* 1.11 but touching the number of Spirits they are both of one opinion. Aristotle doth deny that there are wicked Spirits; whose authoritie Physitians did follow and adhere vnto, as Psellus witnesseth, intending those that were not Christians, or which had apostated from the true Religion. This sort of men doth ordina∣rily fall into two grosse errors; the one against the im∣mortalitie of the soule, as it is recited in the 2. of Wise∣dome, saying,* 1.12 that the soule doth altogether resemble the flame that is nourished from the lampe: the other is against Spirits; for when they are shewed the effects wrought really by the Diuell in the bodies of those hee doth possesse, they do adiudge of it more meanely then Aristotle did, and affirme, that these incongruities doe happen through the indisposition and depraued tem∣per of humours and vitall spirits. And thus as they doe by the immortalitie of the soule, so heere also they

change an immortall and incorruptible spirit into a spi∣rit more earthly: and which they would haue to bee quintessented from the temperament of naturall quali∣ties, which indeed is nothing else but a blast or smoake. Hence it is that S. Augustine doth to this purpose fitly alleage the historie of a Physitian,* 1.13 who, saith hee, was constrained to confesse the immortalitie of soules by a vision which hee had when he lay asleepe, wherein hee saw, although the casements of his eyes were shut vp; and heard, although his sense of hearing was tied vp and possessed by sleepe, his good Angell speaking vnto him, and making him to consider, that his soule of it selfe without the aide or seruice of the bodie, or any of the organs thereof, did see and heare. And this is the reason why such kinde of people doe relie and leane too much vpon Philosophie, and causes in nature. The Sadduces also may be ranked with them,* 1.14 because they also denie Spirits as it is recited in the Acts of the Apo∣stles: from thence they fall into another inconuenience, and that is, to deny the immortality of the soule: where∣upon it followeth of necessitie, that they must deny the resurrection of the body;* 1.15 which three points are com∣mon vnto Atheists, and all those that deny Spirits. O∣thers there are, that are not so frontlesse and grosse in their opinions, as the former, but grant, that as there are good Spirits, (for the motion of the heauen doth force from them that confession, in that so good and necessa∣rie a worke cannot proceed but from a good agent) so there are also bad Spirits, and y^t from them many actiōs of villany and naughtinesse doe proceed. Of these Por∣phiry maketh mention in Epistola ad Anebuntem, cited by S. Thomas,* 1.16 saying, that these are the Masters of Sor∣cerers, and of all that vse witchcraft, and that they neuer direct any man in a course of goodnesse, but giue all passage and furtherance vnto those, who haue any pro∣pension to doe mischiefe. Plato also and his sect doe grant that there is a great number of Spirits, whose re∣sidence

is in the highest region of the aire, as birds haue their abiding place in the low and middle region, and fishes in the water: but they doe heere intermingle many absurdities, as wee will declare heereafter. To conclude, none haue euer perfectly knowen the nature of Spirits, but those that haue receiued and vnderstood the holy Scripture. Now against Philosophers and Pai∣nims wee haue experience:* 1.17 against the Saduces who are hereticks amongst the Iewes (as Tertullian saith) wee haue the fiue bookes of Moses which they them∣selues admit: and for Catholicks and Christians, wee haue the consent of all the holy Scriptures, both of the old and new Testament. S. Thomas in his third booke against the Gentiles doth solidly and learnedly dispute against all the arguments of the Philosophers, who af∣firmed, that when any prodigie in nature did happen, it was to be attributed to the influence of celestiall bo∣dies, which are able to bring forth many things that are hidden and buried from our knowledge. It is true (saith hee) that nature is able to doe much, yet notwithstand∣ing it is bounded in and limited so strongly, that for the most part it is tyed to the production of one manner of effects, either from the property of the efficient cause, or from the impotency or vnaptnesse of the matter which hath no capacity but to bring forth one thing: as the Sunne, and all the heauens cannot in the sapp of a vine shape vp or bring forth any other thing but grapes, nor from an apple tree any thing but apples.* 1.18 Whereupon it must bee granted, that there are many effects which are against and aboue the power of na∣ture: as Oracles which were nothing else but statues that did speake and giue resolution vnto those doubts that were propounded vnto them, and did vnfold ma∣ny things that were absent, hidden, and to come: as also that some men haue suddenly,* 1.19 and without any study or paines taking therein, spoken Hebrew, Greeke and Latine, Syriac, Chaldey, and all other languages, citing

sentences of Poets and Orators, although they neuer were conuersant in them or in any other kinde of lite∣rature: that Oxen and Asses should speake, and other prodigious accidents should happen, against the power and course of nature; that a vestall Virgin, being suspe∣cted of light behauiour and wantonnes, should in wit∣nesse of her chastitie cary vp and downe before the Romansa sure full of water. Claudia also vpon the same occasion did draw a great ship after her with her girdle, and Actius Naeuius did with a rasor cut a whet-stone in peeces.

It hath been found true by experience, and mention is made of the fame in the lawes of the 12. Tables, that a certaine Island did fleet vp and downe from one place to another. It is also knowen by obseruation, that they who practise such things as these, do vse certaine words, characters, prayers, protestations, and other manners of behauiour, which cannot without folly and vanity be presented vnto any, but vnto substances that haue vnderstanding and reason. From whence hee draweth this conclusion, that it is euident that al these prodigies doe proceed from Spirits, and therefore there are Spi∣rits. And if the authority of the Scripture may heere take place (which they may admit of at the least as any other History) it is impossible to conceiue, that the course of the Sunne should be stayed, and that the hea∣uen should goe backward in the time of Iosua, and E∣s••chias by any naturall force or power.* 1.20 For Aristotle himselfe faith, that this is impossible euen for Intelli∣gences themselues, to wheele back the heauen, as it is impossible for the soule to yssue forth of the body at pleasure,* 1.21 or not to enlifen and actuate the body, whiles it remaineth in it, because there is a necessity in nature that compelleth the same. Therefore it is plaine, that those euents proceed from some thing else then from the motion of the heauens: and it must necessa∣rily be granted, that prodigies ought not to be appro∣priated

to the motion of the heauens, but to some other secret causes, which stand involued with much ambi∣guity and mistinesse. Mercurius Trismegistus would indeed haue answered that argument touching Ora∣cles, in saying, that it was true that God did create as many Spirits as are in nature, yet it was the art of men to make the Oracles to speake, by sitting thereunto certaine influences of the heauens: for (saith hee) such statues might be so aptly accomodated to certaine a∣spects of the heauens, as that they might speake, di∣uine, and foretell, and might strike men with diseases, and heale them againe, and might in breefe worke mi∣racles. But it fareth heere with him, as it doth with Plu∣tarch,* 1.22 who endeuouring to giue a reason why Oracles did cease to doe those wonders, which they were wont, (letting slippe the true reason, which was the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh, by whom the kingdome of Satan was vtterly ruined) he maketh a booke expres∣presly to shew the reason of their cessation and silence: but hee falleth so short in his discourse, that hee allea∣geth no reasons but such, whose insufficiency and weak∣nesse may bee easily confuted, nay which is more, the most of them are ridiculous, and vnworthy of so great a Philosopher: in so much as he is driuen to say, that they were nourished by exhalations drawne vp from the earth, which when they ceased and were exhausted, those Oracles were famished, and dyed for want of their accustomed sustenance. In the same maze wande∣reth Trismegistus, when hee would yeeld a reason of their ouerthrow: for it may be easily demanded of him, first, why men in these times may not doe the like (as those of former ages haue done) by the same obseruati∣ons of the heauens, since now they are more skilled in their motions, then formerly they haue beene: and whē now our modern Astrologers haue conuicted both Aristotle and Ptolomy of many errours. Againe, how may it bee possible that the cause should be of lesse ex∣cellency

then the effect, and if a man (as hee affirmeth) can by his indust••y make such oracles, it will in sound Philosophy bee necessarily inferred, that hee may also produce and worke the same thinges in another man. And if it be replyed, that there must bee a concurrence of the heauens influence vnto such a worke, I answere, Why may not the like influence as well happen vnto a man, as vnto a statue of wood? Nay, why should it not rather agree vnto him, as being more capable of reason, speech, and all other actions, then a statue? Since then it was neuer knowen that a man was an oracle, we may conclude, that this reason is most insufficient; for it is certaine that in all ages there haue beene some, who would not haue desired a better purchase, then by this meanes to bee esteemed Gods, wherein they retaine a remnant of that poyson, wherewith the Serpentinfe∣cted our first parents, telling them, Erit is sicut Dij;; and Gregory,* 1.23 Nazianzene allegeth a number of examples, as of Arist••ur, Empedo••••mus, and Trophonias, who hid themselues vnder ground, that they might be esteemed Gods, Empedocles also cast himselfe head-long into the sulphurous mountaine of Sicily, which perpetually vo∣mited 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••lakes of fire: and Iulian the Apostate was incited with the same 〈…〉〈…〉 and did so burne with the cogitation of the same, that hee would haue drowned himselfe in a great riuer. Aristotle himselfe, who la∣boured to giue a reason in nature for all things, could not comprehend the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and satisfying cause of the ebbe and flow of the Sea Eurip••••, now called Negre∣pont, where with hee was so vexed, that hee threw him∣selfe violently into the same,* 1.24 crying, Because Aristotle cannot containe this Sea, this Sea shall conteine Aristotle (as Iustin Martyr writeth of him.) Hence it is that hee studied to render a naturall reason for those memorably strange accidents in man, which cannot be attributed to any cause, but either to God or Spirits; and therefore he affirmed that the Sibills and those excellent Empe∣rors

and great Philosophers were dis-affected by a me∣lancholick humour, through which they spake and did many strange things. In which words hee seemeth to preuent the argument, which might be obiected against this his assertion, touching Demoniaks and possessed,* 1.25 which is a cleare and vnresistable experience against all the Philosophers of the world: for it is infallible that before Aristotles time there was possession, since Salo∣mon himselfe did teach men exorcismes to cast out Di∣nels from mens bodies, as Iosophus and others doe wit∣uesse.* 1.26 How then can all this be attributed to a melan∣cholick humour? But will Aristotle dare to auow that this grosse and earthy humour is more excellent in a man, then his vnderstanding and reason? Now if rea∣son can by no meanes whatsoeuer discouer those things which it hath neuer learned, nor speake any other lan∣guage, then that which for a long time it hath been v∣sed vnto; nor diuine of future euents, nor alleage or in∣terprete sentences, which it hath neuer conceiued, how is it possible that this muddy and grosse humour should bee so cleared as to doe all these thinges? especially when they are the proper effects that flow from reason. And if a man should require from them the cause, why such an humour should comprehend that which is farre remote from vs, both by distance of place and time, rather then reason, they could make no answere thereunto. To which may be added that they are things which doe as vsually happen vnto those that are of a different complexion,* 1.27 as vnto melancholick men. For it is probable that the Corinthian fornicatour who was possessed with a Diuell, was of no melancholick and lupmish constitution, but rather of a more plea∣sant and iouiall behauiour: which is not barely conie∣cturall,* 1.28 because S. Paul reprooueth the Corinthians for that they laughed and were merry with him, before he was possessed; which may make vs to conceiue, that he was witty and pleasant, as also all the Epicures were

who were wont to say, Comedamus & bibamus cras e∣nim moriemur, & post mortem nulla volupt as. In like manner were Alexander and Hymen••us possessed, who were much like vnto the former.* 1.29 Moreouer, it were a ridiculous thing to say, that when the Diuels were cast out of an humane body, and entered into the swine, the melancholy of the man did descend into the hogs; so that it doth fully appeare, that these experiēces afore∣said are sufficiently powerfull to confute all Philoso∣phers, that there are Spirits who doe secretly conuerse with men, and doe many times visibly appeare vnto them: which Aristotle could not deny to haue happe∣ned vnto Socrates Platoes master who from his infancy had a Spirit that did at times appeare vnto him: as Ter∣tullian hath obserued,* 1.30 lib. de anima. in these words, So∣cratem Puerum, adhuc Spiritus demoniclus inuenit. Let vs now come to the Saduces,* 1.31 of the which sect there is yet a great multitude of Iewes in Constantinople, and in the kingdome of Persia, where almost all the Iewes doe adhere to their opinion. It is strange in them, that they should deny Spirits▪ whē in the fiue bookes of Mo∣ses, which they onely admit of as the sacred writ, there is nothing more common then the mention of Spirits, and there is more spoken of that argument, in those bookes then in the whole Scripture besides. Wee will anone yeeld the reason why Moses did not mention their creation or fall, although in the beginning as it were of his booke,* 1.32 hee bringeth in the Serpent, speak∣ing and discoursing with such craftinesse and cunning, as that hee made a conquest vpon the vnderstanding, and perswades the will both of the woman and the man. Now there is nothing more discerneable, then that this was no vnreasonable beast, that spake from his owne braine and apprehension, because nothing is more disproportionable and auerse from beastes then speach and reason: Heereupon it is that Orators doe properly tearme them Animalia muta, because speech

is the expresser and interpreter of inward reason, and can proceed from no cause but from thence. But put the case they should bee so stupide as to say that in those times beastes could speake, as Plutarch seemeth to in∣timate in his booke which is intituled, That beasts are not deuoide of reason, and as some grosse capacities conceiue of Aesops fables, and the like,* 1.33 being it may be drawne to beleeue it from S. Basils opinion, who holdeth that before the temptation the Serpent had feete, and did goe vpon his legs as other foure footed beastes vse to doe, and that as soone as it was told him supra a pectus tuum gradieris, the vse of feete was taken away from him and all his kinde, because that curse did descend downe to all posterity and succession: as it is said, Inter semen tuum, & semen illius. But where doe wee finde, I pray, that God saith vnto the Serpent, thou shalt speake no more, but shalt bee mute and vtterly depriued of discourse and reason? which hee might in reason haue said, since it was not the outward forme and shape of the Serpent that beguiled our first fathers, but the reasons that he alleaged, & the promises which he made vnto them. But touching this the Scripture speaketh nothing, for besides the ridiculousnesse of such a conceite, it would breed a manifest repugnancy in the Scripture, which saith that God created liuing creatures, but hee afterwards made man after his owne image and likenesse, which similitude lyeth onely in this pointe, that hee framed him with the indowment and vse of reason, whereby hee might direct himselfe and euery other thing, as God doth guide and gouerne all things by his wisedome and prouidence. And this is it (as S. Augustine hath notably obserued) which is pre∣sently there added, vt praesit piscibus maris,* 1.34 & volati∣libus coeli, & uniuersis animantibus quae mouentur super terram. It must needs therefore be an intellectuall sub∣stance, that made the Serpent to speake, for it was nei∣ther man nor woman, because there were none but

Adam and Eue, as the text saith, Erunt autem ambo nu∣di. Moreouer there is mention made of a Cherubin, who was appointed to keepe the doore of Paradise, for feare least man should returne back againe, and should eate of the fruit of life; and in his hand he held a bright flaming sword, to strike a terrour into man, if hee should be so presumptuous. This could not be a man, as we haue declared, and must therefore be a Spirit. There is also frequent mention made of the Angels of God, who appeared vnto men, as vnto Abraham, Lot, Iacob and others, foretelling them of things, which was be∣yond the compasse of mans knowledge, as that an olde barren woman should conceiue; that Sodome and Go∣morra should be destroied, and the like. As also that the people of Israel should be led through the wilder∣nesse by a cloud, and by a pillar of fire: there could no other reason be giuen heereof, but that they were Spi∣rits sent as guides by God vnto them. Praesedet te (said God to Moses) Angelus meus: and Moses replyed saying, Nisi tu ipse praecedas nos, so that it appeareth that these spirits were the messengers of God.* 1.35 The ex perience also of those that are possessed, is a sufficient argument to confute the Saduces.* 1.36 Heere upon it came (saith Iansenius) that Christ Iesus did permit the Di∣uels in his time to inuade not onely men, but swine al∣so, for conuiction (saith hee) of the errour of the Sadu∣ces, whom Christ Iesus was saine to traine vp by such rutourage, as knowing, that if a man did once appre∣hend there were Spirits, hee would forth-with beleeue that there is another world, where they make their a∣bode, and from thence would easily bee induced to ad∣mit the immortality of the soule, and the resurrection of the body. Whereas contrariwise, hee who doth not beleeue that there are Spirits, can hardly conceiue that there is another world,* 1.37 or that the soule is immortall, or that it is possible for God himselfe to call men vnto him by resurrection from the dead. Heereupon S. Luke

reciting the principal errours of the Saduces, doth ioyne these three points together.

Concerning Christians and Catholicks, besides the aboue named bookes,* 1.38 they haue S. Stephen in the Acts of the Apostles, and S. Paul in the 3. to the Galathians, to witnes that the Law was giuen to Moses and the people by the ministery of Angels: that God hath ap∣pointed good Angels to guard vs from the perrills of this world, and from the attempts of wicked Spirits a∣gainst vs, in the 90. Psalme. Moreouer,* 1.39 that they ayde and succour vs so farre as to combate for vs:* 1.40 none (said an Angel to Daniel) did aide me in the people of Israels deliuerance but Michael Prince of this people; and that the number of them is exceeding great, doth clearly appeare by the history of Helizeus when he opened the eies of his disciple,* 1.41 & made him see the great multitude of Angels, at what time he was afraide of the huge army of the Assirians. Plures (saith he) nobiscum sunt quā cum illis.* 1.42 The same spake Iacob who saw himselfe circled in with an heauenly army when hee stood in feare of his brother Esau; Castra (inquit) Dei sunt haec. Their of∣fice is to praise God vncessantly, as Esay and Ezechiel doe declare, the one speaking of Seraphins, the other of Cherubins.* 1.43 He that shall ••ound the trumpet to raise the dead shall bee an Arch angell, and presently there shall come a great troope of Angels to collect and gather in the elect from all quarters of the world, and to assemble them in one place. Touching wicked Spi∣rits, it is declared in the history of Achab,* 1.44 that a spirit did offer himselfe to be a spirit of lyes: and Satan temp∣ted Dauid to number his people in the pride of his heart, and did much mischiefe in Egypt, as being there the hang-man of God,* 1.45 Immissiones (saith Dauid) per Angelos malos. God also frequently forbiddeth in the law to sacrifice vnto Diuels, which hee would not doe but that there were Diuels.* 1.46 It was the Diuell that did afflict Iob in his body, goods, children and seruants:* 1.47 It

was he that dared to tempt Christ Iesus, and did exact adoration from him as if he were a God: it is hee, that by his commandement and by the prayers of the Apo∣stles hath beene so often cast out from mens bodies; and for conclusion, (for the places that may heere bee brought are numberlesse) God will say at the last day to the reprobate: Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum, qui pa∣ratus est Diabolo & Angelis eius. Being then ascertai∣ned that there are Spirits both good and bad as well from the grounds of naturall reason, as from inuincible experiences, and especially from the authority of the holy Scripture, we are in the next place to know whe∣ther they haue bodies, or no.

CHAP. II. Whether Spirits haue bodies.

THis question beareth with it more difficul∣tie then any other, either in Philosophy or Diuinity next after the question of the Diuine nature: first, because Spirits do approch neerer vnto the nature of God then any other creature: as also, because it is impossible to see or comprehend them but onely by their effects; as by the print of the foote which is left in the sand wee know that a man hath passed that way, yet haue we not a possibility to conceiue of his vertue, knowledge, force, beauty, or constitution thereby: and hence it ari∣seth, that so many ingenuous Spirits as haue laboured in this argument haue almost all of them missed their scope,* 1.48 and run into some errour. For if (as Saint Au∣gustine teacheth) it bee one of the most difficult things in the world to know the essence of the soule, which Aristotle also toucheth in his first booke of the soule,* 1.49 where he reciteth an infinitie of opinions together with their seuerall mistakes, and exorbitances from the truth,

much more shall this argument of Spirits be incumbred with many difficulties, since there is no man who hath not daily experience of the nature of soules euen in their very dreames. Which maketh me say with Saint Tho∣mas of Aquin,* 1.50 that Themistius the Philosopher hath more grossely ouer shot himselfe in this point then any others. For he did not onely teach it for a truth, that in this mortall life we might attaine vnto the full and com∣plete knowledge of Angels, but also that this kinde of knowledge was more facile then any other, by reason of their constancy and naturall stabilitie, whereby it commeth to passe, that they are not so obnoxious vnto change, as all other elementary bodies are. Against this Saint Thomas doth learnedly oppose himselfe, lay∣ing downe demonstratiuely, that whatsoeuer know∣ledge a man might attaine vnto in this mortall life (for after this life our knowledge shall, without comparison be farre more excellent by the contemplation of that great Myrrour that comprehendeth all things) it doth all necessarily proceed and flow from the outward sen∣ses and in the intermission of their working,* 1.51 a man doth afterward apprehend a conception of that which was offered and imprinted into his sense; The truth of this may be obserued in a man that is blind and deafe from his natiuitie, who hath no knowledge of any thing whatsoeuer. Since then Spirits haue no bodies, they cannot be seene by the eye nor receaued into any exter∣nall sense: and thereupon it ariseth, that a man cannot forme them in his imagination, vnlesse it bee because we see them dimly by their effects: Saint Augustine him∣selfe confesseth, that it is one of the hardest questions in the world; and is not ashamed to vse these words: Fa∣teor excedere vires intentionis meae,* 1.52 and Aristotle as it were to preuent Themistius, doth declare that this ob∣scurity doth not proceede from Spirits, but from the imbecility both of our senses and vnderstanding, which as he prettily noteth, resembleth the eye of an Oule that

cannot endure the brightnesse of the Sunne, although it be the most conspicuous thing that is. Hence it is that as many as haue laboured to discouer the intricacy of these subtilties do resemble those that by a mathemati∣call demonstration would prooue, quadraturam circuii: for being not able to reach vnto it, they haue an infinity of false hypotheses and suppositions. Among these the two Arabicke Philosophers may be numbred, Aben Rois (whom some by corruption of speech cal Auerrois) and Aben Pace, whose opinions are largely confuted by Saint Thomas.* 1.53 But to come to those who haue drawne neerer vnto the truth, Aristotle doth affirme and prooue, that those few Spirits whom he had know∣ledge of, were certainely free from any Masse or pres∣sure of bodies, and were substances separated and ab∣stracted from all composition of elements: for he well knew that a corporeall forme ought to be proportioned vnto the body wherein it doth act and produce motion. If then the Intelligences who moue the heauens were corporeall, it must needs be, that their bodies should be proportionable vnto the quantity of the heauenly bodies, which is so great that it comprehendeth and compasseth in all the world, and as touching the out∣ward superficies it is contained in no place. If then these Spirits should be fashioned to such greatnes, they would be exceeding monstrous and hideous to looke vnto: which is not to be conceited of these substances which are the most noble and excellent of all others. They moue then the heauens, as the reasonable soule doth our bodies, that is, meerely by their will, which the bo∣dy in his corporall motions cannot possibly resist, if so be it be furnished with Organs proper for the same, mouet voluntate non tactu: which manner of working is strange and incomprehensible, because it is a spirituall kind of working and not a corporall. Many other rea∣sons are alleaged by Aristotle, but because they are drawne from naturall Philosophy, and cannot easily be

vnderstood, but by those that are well versed in the Maximes of that science, it shal be sufficiēt that we haue alleadged these few. Plato seemeth to himselfe to haue soared higher in his Philosophy, but he is not without this errours: for hauing got the sight of the holy Scrip∣tures and taking the words according to the rigor of the letter, he affirmeth that these excellent Spirits haue a thinne and subtile kinde of body,* 1.54 made of fire or ayre; wherein he followeth the Scriptures which seeme to say that they are made of winde, or of a flame of fire, and do alwayes mention their appearing to be clothed in such materiall shapes, as when they speake of the An∣gell that conducted the people in the wildernesse,* 1.55 it is said that hee was as a pillar of fire vnto them in the night, and as a cloud in the day. Besides in the moun∣taine of Sinay there were seene lightnings, lampes and flames of fier,* 1.56 as also the two Cherubins of the Mercies seate resembled two yong boyes with winges, and Helias, his taking vp to heauen was by Horses of fire. But Plaeto vnderstood not, that it is an vsuall thing with the holy Scripture to set before vs the highest mysteries by metaphors borrowed from things that are more vile, so they be more familiar vnto vs. In like manner are the fowre Elements, the seauen Planets, and that supreame heauen of all, where God and his Saints do dwell blessed for euermore,* 1.57 are represented vnto vs in the Mercies seate by artificiall things: the seauen Planets by the sea∣uen Lampes, in the middest of whom one was more bright and conspicuous then the rest, and that represen∣ted the Sunne: the like may be said of other things, as that in the garments of Auron the High Priest,* 1.58 there was representation made of the whole world, and a kinde of expression of the Maiesty of God, as the wise man saith, In veste Aaron erat descriptus orbis terrarum. The linen breeches did betoken the earth, not onely because the earth bringeth forth flaxe and linnen, but also because it is one of the worst stuffes that is there de∣scribed:

the large girdle wherewithall the Priest did engirt himselfe, represented the Ocean sea that com∣passeth all the earth: the coate of blew veluet with the little bells of pomegranets, the aire which is of the same colour, and is the shopp where all thunders and light∣nings are hammered: the Rochet that was vpon his shoulders beautified with all variety of precious co∣lours, the heauen, where all the Starres do like spangles beautifie that place: the twelue precious stones that were set into this garment, the twelue signes of the Zo∣diacke: the Miter vpon his head, the highest heauen, and the plate of gold in which the ineffable name of God was ingrauen, and which was vpon all the rest did represent the Mai••sty of God. In the like manner God is shadowed out vnto vs with eyes, eares, and hands, that is to say, seeing, hearing, and doing all things: which these Anthropomorphites not vnderstanding, did maintaine;* 1.59 (wherein they fell into Platoes errour) that God had also a body, but how monstrous a body must this be, since God himselfe is euery where. They may as well say, that he is a Lambe, a Lyon, or a Beare, and the like, then which borrowed speeches nothing is more frequent in Scripture. So that when Angels are fi∣gured out with winges, and are said to be clothed with winde or fire, it signifieth nothing else vnto vs, but that they are swift and ready to execute the will of God, as the Psalmist doth explaine it, speaking of Angels and saying,* 1.60 Potentes robore seu virtute ad audiendam vocem sermonum eius. The Ethnicks also, hauing stolue the same from the Iewish antiquities (as Iosephas calleth them) that is to say from the holy Scripture, doth set forth Mercury with winges, and describe the winde in the shape of a man hauing winges, thereby to expresse the swiftnesse and celerity which they conceiued and saw in these things. And Hamer when he would speake of Gods descent vpon the earth (whom he alwayes cal∣leth Iupiter) hee bringeth him downe couered and

wrapped in a cloud:* 1.61 which he stole from the bookes of Moyses where God is alwayes said to come downe in a cloud, Descendebat columna nubis ad ostium Taberna∣culi, and as King Dauid saith,* 1.62 Descendit dominus & ca∣ligo sub pedibus eius. The winde also is figured out to be a man with winges which is drawne from that place, Qui ambulas super pennas ventorum. And that we may more fully vnderstand the Maiesty and antiquity of the holy Scripture, from whence the opinions of Plato had their first ground and originall, and which the most fa∣mous Philosophers and Diuines haue followed in part, as we will by and by demonstrate, it is expedient to ob∣serue breefely that which the ancients haue more large∣ly expressed vnto vs, especially Clemens Alexandrinus,* 1.63 Origen, Eusebius, and Tertullian: and that is, that whatsoeuer Poets and Philosophers whether they were Greekes or Latines haue truly and excellently left vnto posterity, they haue stolne or borrowed the same from the customs of the people of Israel. S. Chrysostome com∣mendeth the inuention of Poets, in describing the sonne drawne in a burning Chariot by foure horses run∣ning at full speede: this is not a meere fable saith he, if it be rightly vnderstood: because the Sunne in Greeke is called Helios. For finding that Helias was carried to heauen in a firy Chariot drawne with foure horses, they applied this vnto the Sunne, conceiting that the Scrip∣ture spake metaphorically, and by Helias meant Helion, that is the Sunne.* 1.64 The Cherubins also are said to be drawne in a Chariot, and Abacuc calleth them the hor∣ses of God, saying: Qui ascendis super equos tuos; This the Poets would expresse when they say, that the hea∣uens are wheeled and rowled about by Angels, as if they were drawne by swift horses. Moreouer, where∣as the Iewes had within their Temple two manner of Oracles, the one vocall, the other mute and without a voyce: the first was when God spake out of the midle of the Tabernacle to Moyses, the other when from

the precious stones of the high Priests Ephod,* 1.65 their beamed forth a certaine splendor that betokned good fortune,* 1.66 which is mentioned in the 1. of Kings. The Gentiles herein endeauoured to imitate the Iewes, and had also two manner of Oracles, the one which spake and was called Oraculum Dodoneum, the other which spake not, and was called Oraculum Hammonium: which word Oracle signifieth in the Hebrew nothing else, but a place of speaking, and where answeres are commonly giuen, for it is called Debir: in Greeke it may be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.67 in Latine Loquuterium, as Saint Ierome hath obserued. And as it is commanded in the Law that they should offer cakes vnto God in their sa∣crifices, but that no sacrifice should be without salt, so doth Pliny also note of the Gentiles, omnibus sacrificijs adhiberi solitam molam salsam,* 1.68 which is also witnessed by Ouid: Ante deos homini quod conciliare valebat far erat, & puri lucida mica salis. Hence haue the customes of the Gentiles there beginning, and this Plato hath more excellently and accurately followed then any o∣ther: whereupon he gained the surname of Diuine be∣ing commonly styled Diuinus Plato. We are not then to wonder though Plato do affirme that Angels haue bodies of fire or ayre, since that the Scripture doth so cleerely and frequently make repetition of the same: and it may be that he vnderstood those speeches accor∣ding to the sense and meaning of the Scripture, that is to say metaphorically, because either they are not so grosse and heauy as humane bodies which indure wea∣rinesse in their motion, or rather, because they are like birds or clouds in the ayre, or else because they appeare to men in such formes and fashions. For if it bee law∣full for Moyses to say that God is a fire: Deus noster (in∣quit) ignis consumens est, because he was thus represen∣ted vnto him in the bush and vpon the mountaine, why may it not be lawfull for vs to say that Spirits are made of aire or fire, because in their apparitions they euer

take an airie or a firie body vpon them? And thus wee are to vnderstand S. Augustine,* 1.69 when he seemeth to af∣firme that spirits haue bodies: and thus S Bernard also is to bee interpreted, that is, that spirits are then said to haue bodies, when they would appeare vnto vs: for they can haue no other meaning, since our eye hath no proportion with spirituall substances. It may well be, that some haue thus spoken of them, thereby to inti∣mate that spirits are not pure qualities, but essences sub∣sisting of themselues: which maketh much against the error of the Sadduces, who reduced all the apparitions recited in the fiue bookes of Moyses, to the imagina∣tions and fancies of men; whereas indeed, Angels doe vnderstand, conferre, and direct men, managing, and gouerning Prouinces and kingdomes, and as our Sa∣uiour saith, they doe alwaies behold the face of God the Father which is in heauen. Thus ought Tertullian to be vnderstood when he saith,* 1.70 that God hath a bodie, not that he hath the least composition of matter, but he is a body, that is to say, a thing really subsisting, accom∣modating his manner of speaking to the weakenes of ruder apprehensions, and it may bee to the vnderstan∣dings of certaine. Anthropomorphites, who, as Cassia∣nus saith, by reason of their great dulnesse and simplici∣tie, could not conceiue that any thing could bee reallie subsisting, vnlesse it had a body, not being able, as wee are vsed to say, to iudge further then their nose. Not∣withstanding the experiēce of the soules working, may be sufficient to sublime mens thoughts from such ear∣thie conceptions touching Spirits, since the soule doth discourse and worke, although the body be fallen into a sound sleepe. Adam, when he sleeped very profound∣ly▪ saw God when he tooke from him one of his ribbes thereof to make the woman, and when the soule at the houre of death is diuorsed from the body, it cannot bee seene by any because it is a spirit, as Christ himselfe vp∣on such an occasion did say:* 1.71 Pater in manus tuas com∣mendo

spiritum meum,* 1.72 and afterward, & inclinate capite emisit spiritum. That we may vse these phrases of spea∣king in a good sense, it appeareth by that which wee haue formerly said, for wee cannot doe amisse in vsing Scripture-phrases, if so bee they bee taken according to the meaning of the Scripture, as Christ Iesus himselfe declareth in S. Iohn, chap. 10. where he argueth against the Pharisies, who in those daies stood nicely vpon words, as wee haue many of that captious b••ood a∣mongst vs in these times. Againe, it is not to be concei∣ued, that so great and learned personages should be so ignorant as not to be conuersant in the texts of the new Testament, which doe cleerely declare that they haue no bodies. In the third place, they doe for the most part expresse and interpret themselues, as S. Atbanasius a∣mongst the rest,* 1.73 who in his definition of Angels, doth briefly say, Angelus est animal rationale; but because the word (Animal) doth signifie a bodily substance, he doth therefore afterwards explane himselfe and say▪ Est autem expers materia. Wherein although he seemes to contradict himselfe, yet his meaning is, that since the holy Scripture doth stile these spirits Animalia, in Exo∣dus,* 1.74 and Abacuc; In medio duorum animalium, it is no absurditie to giue vnto them the same appellations: but these places are to bee vnderstood metaphorically, and then there can be no inference of bodily substance fa∣stened vpon them.* 1.75 Thus doth Didymus, S. Ieromes Ma∣ster, say, that an Angell can bee but in one place at one time: and lest any man should misconceiue him, as though he should maintaine them to be corporeall, be∣cause it is the propertie of a body to be circumscribed in a place, hee addeth in that very passage, that they are not properly inuironed or bounded in, by any place; thereby letting vs vnderstand, that his meaning was not to attribute any bodily substance vnto them. The like may be obserued out of S. Ierome,* 1.76 who saith with Saint Paul, that Angels and soules doe bow their knees be∣fore

God; yet are wee not here (saith he) to conceiue, that they haue their members and dimensions like vn∣to vs.

Before wee descend to the proofes out of Scriptures, wee shall doe well to examine, whether the opinion of those that take the Scripture-phrase according to the rigour of the letter, may bee defended. S. Thomas dis∣pureth against it,* 1.77 and saith that it cannot be defended. For first, if they had bodies made of aire (as Apuleius dreamed) they could not bee immortall, but would in the end fall into corruption, as we doe: because what∣soeuer is compounded of elementarie qualities, must of necessitie be framed of contrary and repugnant natures, which in the end by their perpetuall opposition and fight do ruine one the other; and this truth is beyond exception. Secondly, the aire is a body, which the Phi∣losophers terme homogeneall, that is, whose least part is of the same nature and condition with the whole, as euery drop of water is water, as well as whole riuers or the sea: from whence this absurditie would follow their opinion, that the whole bodie of the aire must be one immense Angelicall substance. Thirdly, the men bers of a liuing bodie, must haue seuerall organes fit for the performance of those functions, whereunto nature doth ordaine them, which cannot be true of the aire: and if they were made of aire, they may thē be dissolued and melted into water as the clouds are, they should also be hot & moist like vnto the aire; as if they were cōposed of fire, then must they burne. All which absurdities doe euidently shew, that they are said to bee airie only, be∣cause they abide for the most part in the aire. And ther∣fore Saint Paul writing vnto the Ephesians, who were great Philosophers, and much addicted vnto Magicke, (as S. Ierome obserueth) giueth them to vnderstand,* 1.78 that this opinion was not repugnant vnto Christianitie, but that they were to hold it for a truth, that there are a great number of Spirits in the airie region, against

whom they were to combat: insinuating thereby, that they may in this sense bee called airie, if thereby wee meane that they are Spirits, without flesh and bones. Non est nobis (saith he) colluctatio aduersus carnem & sanguinem,* 1.79 sed aduersus principes & potestates aeris hu∣ius:* 1.80 he also calleth them, Spiritalia nequitiae in coele∣stibus. Wee may safely (saith that Father) call them ai∣rie or heauenly, but wee must alwaies suppose them to be Spirits.* 1.81 In this sense doe the Hebrewes call birds the fowles of the heauen and of the aire, and men are by them stiled terrestriall: not that birds haue bodies of aire, or men of earth, but because they doe inhabite in the aire and dwell vpon the earth. For conclusion of this point, let vs hearken what the holy Scriptures say; and for the old Testament, King Dauid calleth them Spirits where he faith,* 1.82 Qui facis angelos tuos spiritus: as if he should haue said, Lord thou hast ordained that those whom wee call Angels, should be Spirits▪ Now there is a contradiction and Antithesis betweene a bo∣die and a spirit, so that the consequence by negation doth necessarily follow one vpon the other: as if such a thing be a bodie, it will be negatiuely inferred, then is it not a spirit; and contrariwise if it be a spirit, then is it not a bodie: which conclusion Christ himselfe maketh vnto his Apostles, when after his resurrection they con∣ceiued him to be a spirit:* 1.83 Touch me (said he) and looke what I am (being risen with my true bodie) for a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones, as you see I haue. So that this were sufficient to proue, that a spirit hath no body, although there should bee no other place or text to strengthen the same. And lest wee should fall into the opinions of certaine Stoicks, who maintained diuersi∣ties of kindes in Angels, and that some had bodies, and others had not, S. Paul doth direct vs vnto this generall Maxime, which is without exception, when hee pro∣nounceth this sentence:* 1.84 Omnes sunt administratorij spi∣ritus; and in another place he saith, that amongst Gods

creatures there are some visible, and some inuisible, such as are Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, & Pow∣ers: for confirmation whereof wee may adde that, which we haue alreadie alleaged out of the Epistle vn∣to the Ephesians, where there is an opposition expressed between the things that appertaine to flesh and blood, and the things that belong vnto the spirit. Touching Diuels, they are also called Spirits; but to put a diffe∣rence betweene the good and them, there is euer sub∣ioyned some restriction; as in the historie of Achab,* 1.85 one of them speaketh in this manner: Ero spiritus men∣dax in ore prophetarum.* 1.86 Christ Iesus often calleth them vncleane spirits, or the Diuels angels; conformable whereunto S. Paul termeth them the angels of Satan,* 1.87 which must be vnderstood to proceed from their imi∣tation, not from their creation. But it may be obiected, that they haue a body,* 1.88 and are tyed so really vnto the same, that Abraham washed their feete, they tooke Lot by the arme, and by strong hand drew him forth out of Sodome; and Iacob wrestled a whole day with them. It is true indeed, they are supported sometimes by a body, for otherwise they could not be seene, because of them∣selues (as S. Paul saith) they are inuisible: yet wee are not to detract from the authoritie of Scriptures, that do cleerely teach vs that they haue no bodies of their owne: for wee must affirme with Tertullian:* 1.89 Habere corpora peregrina sed non sua: They haue bodies (saith he) which they borrow, but haue none in their owne nature. Wee know that a Spirit did appeare vnto our grandmother Eue in the forme of a Serpent: yet was there neuer any of so blunt & earthy an apprehension, that would affirme that this body of a Serpent was the body of an Angell. Wee are then to say, that this body was framed of one of the foure elements, not of fire, for it would burne: nor of water, for such a body would easily fleet away and be dissolued: nor of earth, for that would remaine sollid vnto the view, and should after∣ward

also bee found: it must therefore necessarily bee framed of aire, both because Spirits haue their places of abode from aboue, the good Spirits dwelling in hea∣uen, and the bad in the aire, as also for that this element doth easily take the impression of all colours & formes: as we see what great variety of colours are in the raine∣bow, and what diuersities of shapes and semblances bearing the formes of Dragons, Serpents, and the like, are represented vnto vs in the clowds. And these formes are dissolued into that from whence they were exhaled and drawne,* 1.90 faith Tertullian: Eadem ratione species illa intercepta est, qua & edita fuerat, si non fuit initium vi∣sibile, nec finis. By which it appeareth that the Doue, that descended from heauen and lighted vpon Christ Iesus,* 1.91 was fashioned of aire, and not of earth: for it is said, Descendit spiritus sanctus corporali specie sicut co∣lumba in ipsum. The like may be said of the firy tongues, that sate vpon the Apostles at the feast of Whitsontide:* 1.92 Factus est repente de coelo sonus tanquam aduenientis spiritus vehementis. So that it is cleere that these appa∣rances are framed of aire, as the cloud out of which God the Father spake to his Sonne in his transfigura∣tion, which vanished into aire, as did Moyses also, whose body in that apparition was composed of the same element: and whiles the Apostles eyes were fixed on these obiects it vanished, and they saw none but Christ Iesus alone. So when the Angell appeared to Manoah the father of Samson,* 1.93 he mounted vp into hea∣uen in a flame of fire, and in his ascent was visibly seene of him: but by little and little Manoah and his wife lost the sight of him, because his body began to dis∣solue into the first matter whereof it was framed. Thus did the Angell that accompanied Tobias in his iourney, It is now time (said hee) for me to returne to him that sent me; and presently hee vanished from them. And for addition vnto the truth hereof, some alleage expe∣rience, saying, that if a man should cut such airie bo∣dies,

it would fare with them as it doth with the Sun∣beame, which doth runne together, and presently vnite it selfe, without any signe of such separation: which ve∣ry well agreeth with the nature of aire, and is fit to con∣fute the error of Psellus,* 1.94 who in the seuenth chapter of his booke, maintaineth that they haue a naturall body, yet in the 23. chapter he granteth, that such bodies be∣ing smit asunder, doe ioyne againe, as doth the aire when it is diuided; whence he might easily haue colle∣cted, that these bodies must bee made of aire, and not proper vnto Angels. For touching the reason which he bringeth, that if they had not bodies, they could not be tormented with fire, it is certaine, that the diuine pro∣uidence may easily bring to passe, that a body may real∣ly worke vpon a spirit, and likewise the contrary: which no Christian can deny, to bee by diuine prouidence wrought in the Sacrament of Baptisme, where the wa∣ter as the instrument of the diuine bountie, doth really and truly wash and purge the soule that is a spirit: and experience teacheth vs this truth in nature, for imagi∣nations, which are corporall things, doe depresse the soule and make it heauie euen vnto death, as Christ Ie∣sus himselfe said. Besides, by this reason we should say, that the soules of the damned being departed from this world, are not cast into hell-fire because they haue no bodies, and must therefore bee impassible: And so wee shal fall into their heresie, that maintaine that the soules lie sleeping till the day of iudgement, which doth dire∣ctly oppose the holy Scriptures; which shew vnto vs, that the soules of good men returne vnto God who hath created them, to be at quiet in his hands and vn∣der his protection; as S. Stephen saith,* 1.95 Domine suscipe spiritum meum: and S Paul wished for death to no o∣ther end, but to be with Christ, Cupio, inquit, dissolui & esse cum Christo: which is confirmed by S. Iohn in the Reuelation,* 1.96 saying, Henceforth doe the soules rest from their labours, for their good workes follow them; and

death (saith S. Paul) shall be a gaine vnto me: on the other side they teach that the soules of the reprobate are tormented in the flames of hell, as appeareth in the Gospell by the rich Glutton, and by the saying of Saint Iohn Baptist, who told the Pharisies, that the axe was alreadie applied vnto the roote of the tree, and euery tree that brought not foorth good fruite, should bee hewen downe and cast into the fire. This S. Iude affir∣meth is already happened to the Sodomites,* 1.97 as also to Chorah, Dathan, and Abiron with their complices, and that they went quicke downe to hell.

But here may an obiection be made, how Spirits are able to frame vnto themselues such bodies at their own pleasure? S. Augustine answereth, that Spirits by a cer∣taine agilitie and naturall power can bring to passe whatsoeuer may be done in nature: for they doe perfe∣ctly know not onely the effects of nature, but the causes also; which proceedeth from the refinednesse and sub∣tilitie of spirit, wherewith they are indowed: which they so well know how to manage and applie, that whatsoeuer nature maketh successiuely and at leisure, they doe the same in an instant. We see the aire diuers times being disposed thereunto by certaine causes, is variously depainted with colours and diuers semblan∣ces; and in the sommer wee sometimes see toades and frogs fall with the raine, which proceedeth frō the cor∣ruption of the aire, from whence also butter-flyes and catterpillers, and the like vermine are ingendred; all which is produced from the successiue operations of na∣ture. The like effects may bee produced by Spirits, by vniting of causes, whereupon the effects doe necessarily follow. Thus we reade that the Diuell tooke vpon him the forme of a Serpent, which cannot be denied; as also that Pharaohs Magicians, by the assistance of Satan, did make serpents and frogs appeare before the people: and surely they may in the like manner shape and counter∣feit any other figure, yea of a man himselfe, as is cleere

by the apparitions recited in the book of Genesis. From whence we must draw this necessarie conclusion, that it is contrary both to naturall reason, and to Scrip that Spirits should haue bodies, but that they are incor∣poreall and inuisible. The resolution of all this discourse may bee had in the booke intituled, De Ecclesiastic is dog matibus, which is amongst the workes of S. Augu∣stine, where in the 11. chapter he saith: We beleeue that God is inuisible and incorporeall, because hee is euery where, and is present in all places, yet not bounded in by any place: but we beleeue that intellectuall substan∣ces are corporeall, because they are circumscribed in a place, as the soule within the body: and hence it is that they are called corporeall, because they are limited in their substances. It remaineth that wee endeuour to know when they were created, since Moyses maketh no mention of it; and from whence it proceedeth, that there is a difference betwixt Spirits, so that some are good and some bad.

CHAP. III. Of the Creation, goodnesse, or malicious∣nesse of Angels.

SAint Athanasius when he was to giue his full resolution and opinion concerning Spirits vnto Prince Antiochus,* 1.98 deman∣deth in the first place, whether Angels were created, or no; for Moses maketh no mention thereof in the first chap. of Genesis where hee purposely laboureth to magnifie the power and goodnesse of God in the worke of Creation. And in good reason doth he take his beginning from this que∣stion, since the weightiest argument that Saduces and Atheists can alleage for themselues is, that Moses speaking of all the creatures of God, and of the hea∣uens

themselues doth yet make no mention of Angels: whereupon the ancients haue endeauoured to giue a satisfying resolution heereunto, as S. Chrysostome, S. Athanasius,* 1.99 Theodoret and others. S. Chrysostome particularly in two passages doth determine this point. I know well (saith hee, speaking vnto the people) that you are accustomed to demand, why it is not said, In principio creauit Deus Angelos & Archangelos, as well as it is written, In principio creauit Deus coelum & ter∣ram, especially since Angels and Archangels are vn∣doubtedly compositions of more noblenesse and puri∣tie then heauen or earth. You are to know (saith hee) that the holy Scripture is nothing else but a letter mis∣siue, which God by his Ministers doth send vnto vs:* 1.100 no lesse then when wee read that Helias was sent from God vnto Ioram king of Israell with a letter missiue to reclaime him from his faults, and to instruct him in the will of God. Now when a great Lord writeth his let∣ters missiue, hee doth accommodate the stile and matter of them vnto the qualitie and capacitie of the person vnto whom he doth addresse them: for hee must write to a Prince after one fashion, and after another fashion vnto a Philosopher, and in a different maner from these, when hee writeth to his wife or to his children. Now the first letter missiue, which God in his goodnes sent vnto man, was the fiue bookes of Moses, which hee di∣rected to the people of Israel. This people of Israel, vn∣to whom the letter was addressed, was a rude and an ignorant people, because they were newly infranchised from the slauery and seruitude of Egypt, where they had been for the space of 400 yeares very cruelly oppressed,* 1.101 being all of them constrained to apply themselues to manuall trades and workes, as to gather straw and clay, & to carry great baskets vpō their shoulders ful of such stuffe, wherof they were afterwards to make bricks, and then to carry them where the Cities and Pyramides of Aegypt were a building: and this they daily did, not ha∣uing

leasure to breath or to serue their God one day, as may be easily seene in the beginning of Exodus so that whatsoeuer was said of Ioseph, may very appositly be ap∣plied vnto this people: Diuertit ab oneribus dorsum eius,* 1.102 manus eius in cophino seruierunt. Which was the cause that they were a rude nation, & altogether vnacquain∣ted with good literature. And this is the peculiar slight of tyrants (as Aristotle writeth in his Politicks) who will not permit their subiects to study and attaine vnto learning: which was the practise of Iulian the Apostata against the Christians. They were all then very igno∣rant except Moses who was exempted from such rude∣nesse, because he had his education in the Kings Pa∣lace,* 1.103 and was the adopted sonne of King Pharaoes daughter, and this S. Stephen well obserueth, saying, E∣rat Moses doctus in omni scientia Aegyptiorum: for he had skill in Astronomy, Geometry, and the Mathe∣maticks, but the rest of the people were exceeding∣ly ignorant, and could not conceiue of any thing but what they could see with their eyes, which is the ordinary fashion of illiterate people, who are not able to eleuate their spirites higher then the earth, and laugh at Philosophers when they dispute of the roundnesse of the Sunne, of the height of heauen, and of the sphericall forme of the sea and earth: and heere∣upon it is that Moses saith to God, alas Lord,* 1.104 I assure my selfe that they will not beleeue that which I shall say vnto them, for when I shall speak of thee Lord, what fashion shall I hold in my discourse to make thy Ma∣iesty knowen vnto them, since their apprehensions doe sauour so much of earth and dulnesse. But God answe∣red him, it shall be sufficient for thee to tell them, that hee (who is) hath spoken vnto thee: for hee would not that hee should speake vnto them in a higher straine then of his being onely, which is a thing common and agreeable to the least creature of the world, although if these words bee vnderstood by nature, not by partici∣pation,

they haue a high and mysterious meaning: but this distinction was not mentioned vnto them, because he would fit his discourse to their vnderstandings. And this is the very opinion of S. Dydimus, who sheweth, that according to the diuersitie of tymes and persons there came Prophets and others in the name of God:* 1.105 some with the name of him that was Almighty, others with the name of him that was replenished with all goodnes, and others with the name of vnappeasable ri∣gour and iustice. And thus (saith hee) was Moses sent vnto this rude people with the name of him That is, for God would at that time exact nothing from them, but that they should vnderstand that the God of their fa∣thers is, and was not like the false Gods of Egypt, who indeed were not, because they had not so much as an existence which is the least that any thing may haue. In like manner when Christ Iesus did addresse himselfe vnto the seauen Churches of Asia,* 1.106 hee set downe diuers attributes of his Maiestie in the beginning of those let∣ters according to the diuersitie of persons. And S. Paul preaching at Athens among the Philosophers did pur∣posely decline to make particular mention of the Tri∣nity, but thought it sufficient to expresse vnto them that there was a God who created heauen and earth: Deus (inquit) qui fecit mundum,* 1.107 & omniae quae in eo sunt coeli & terrae 'Dominus, non in manu factis Templis habitat. S. Peter also in his first sermon to the Iewes, doth not at the first cast plainely expresse that Christ Iesus was the true God, but accommodating himselfe vnto them hee is contented, if at the first he may winne thus much vpon their beleefe, that Christ Iesus was a holy and in∣nocent man sent from God,* 1.108 Iesum (inquit) Nazare∣num virum approbatum a Deo signis & virtutibus: but afterwards he speaketh vnto them in a higher straine, hauing once prepared them for more diuine instructi∣ons. And so heere likewise in processe of time did God manifest vnto this people, that there were Angels, and

that they had their creation from him, as wee shall pre∣sently see. Which is also more expresly vnfoulded in the new Testament, at what time men grew more familiar and better acquainted with the secrets of God. This is S. Chrysostoms reason which is very probable and fit to be admitted.* 1.109 S. Athanasius yeeldeth another reason saying that this people was exceeding ready to beleeue and admit plurality of Gods, which in processe of time they tooke from the superstitions of the Egyptians: which conceite being once growne into an habite and custome, it did at length become almost naturall vnto them, and brake out openly in the desert,* 1.110 when they said••n the plurall number, Hi sunt dij tui Israel quite eduxerunt de terra Aegypti. And hereupon God tooke occasion to insist vpon the explication of this in the first commandement of the Law, (which saith, Domi∣nus Deus tuus Deus vnus est) longer then vpon all the rest of the commandements,* 1.111 because the people were so much inclined to this plurality of Gods, and had then lately made and worshipped a Calfe. Which they may doe well to obserue, who because it is after∣wards said, Thou shalt not make any likenesse of any thing that is in heauen or in earth, doe conceite that this is the second commandement, and aske the cause why Curats doe not so pronounce the same in their seruice, not vnderstanding that the Curate doth pronounce but a short summary of the commandements of God, and that this whereof they complaine, is not properly a commandement, but a more ample exposition of the first commandement, against which the people had for a long time most transgressed. Therefore doth S. A∣thanasius well obserue, that it was not safe to mention Angels vnto them, because they would presently haue thought them Gods: which Carpocrates, Basilides, and other disciples of Simon Magus also did,* 1.112 as S. Ireneus and Tertullian haue written. Whereunto we may adde a third reason drawne from the more moderne diuines,

and that is,* 1.113 that Christ Iesus was the end and scope of the law, who was to take vpon him the flesh of Adam, and not the nature of Angels as S. Paul noteth, Finis legis Christus & nusquam Angels apprehendit, sed se∣men Abrahae apprehendit. Since then Christ Iesus was not to be the Redeemer of Spirits, but of men. Moses did with good reason passe ouer Angels in silence, and bounded his discourse with the mention of visible crea∣tures, ouer whom man had dominion, that in conclu∣sion hee might inferr that man alone had the priuiledge to bee made after Gods image and likenesse, that in the end hee might be deifyed and made a partner in the diuine nature thorow Iesus Christ. By which hee thought to leade and conduct man the more easily vn∣to the knowledge of the grace of God towards him, since that he had more remembrance of him then of the Angels themselues, who were iustly passed ouer with∣out mentioning, if wee consider hou much our humane nature was honoured by the diuine word: so that hee who is God adored by all, is a man as wee are; being as absolutely man as I am, and being as truely man, as he is truely God. And this is the conclusion which S. Paul maketh against the Iewes when he speaketh of Angels: Nusquam Angelos apprehendit, sed semen Abrahae. It is also manifest that the old Testament maketh no men∣tion of the sinne of Lucifer and his adherents, but in∣directly and by glances, as when the haughty minded men are compared vnto him, so in Esai the 14. chap. where mention is made of Nabuchodonosor King of Babilon,* 1.114 and in Ezechiel 18. where the King of Thir is described, both of them being meruailous proud and presumptuous against God; they are (saith the Scrip∣ture) like vnto Lucifer. But of set purpose there is no relation made hereof except it bee incidentally,* 1.115 and (as wee say) per accidens. For Christ Iesus did pay no ran∣some for wicked Spirits as he had done for men, but he hath clearly declared himselfe, that hell fire is from all

eternity prepared Diabolo & Angelis eius. But al∣though Moses did not make direct mention of them,* 1.116 yet did hee tacitly insinuate the same, when hee saith of the seauen daies, that they followed one the other, and that the heauens went on in their course, making day & night, euening and morning, which could not possibly be without the ministry and helpe of Angels. Moreouer when he concludeth Igitur perfecti sunt, coeli & terra & omnis ornatus eorum,* 1.117 by the perfect ornament of heauen he meaneth Angels. For that excellent ornament which addeth such grace vnto the heauens is their mo∣tion, without which (as Aristotle himselfe well knew) the heauen could beame downe no influence vpon the earth, as is intimated by S. Iohn when hee saith,* 1.118 Iurauit per viuentem in secula quod non erit ampllus tempus. For if wee should say, behold a perfect man, this speech doth import that hee hath a soule, and that his body is disposed and fitted for those motions which are naturall vnto man.* 1.119 Whereupon S. Chrysostome admonisheth that by this ornament wee are not to vnderstand the light or starrs onely, but many other perfections, both of higher and baser consideration. But because this man∣ner of speaking is very obscure, S. Athanasius,* 1.120 Theo∣doret and S. Chrysostom moue the question, whether the Scriptures doe directly say that the Angels were created by God or no: and their resolutions are that they doe so say. First King Dauid maketh vs an expresse Psalme touching the creation of the world, where hee speaketh generally of all creatures, Spirituall, rationall, sensible, terrestriall; as also those creatures who haue their being in the water and aire in the 103. Psalme,* 1.121 where he beginneth to speake of the Maiestie of God in this manner, Confessionem siue maiestatem & deco∣rem induisti, amictus lumine, siout vestimento: next hee speaketh of the heauens saying, Thou hast stretched them our ouer vs like a tent; then doth hee adioyne the Angels, Qui facis Angelos tuos Spiritus, who makest

(saith he) thy Angels Spirits. Where by the way wee may obserue for our better information in this and the like places of Scripture, that the Hebrews haue but three tenses in their verbes, the Praeter-perfect tense, the present, and future tense; and haue not the vse as the Greeks and Latins haue of the praeter-imperfect and praeterpluperfect tenses, whence it ariseth that the present tense with the Hebrewes may (as the sentence will beare it) bee translated by the praeterimperfect tense, as also by the praeterperfect, and by the praeter∣pluperfect tense. And this is practised by the Hebrewes in this very passage of Scripture, as if they should say in latine, Quifaciebas Angelos Spiritus; that is to say, Lord in the time of creation thou diddest make and fa∣shion these Spirits, to bee the messengers and ministers of thy good pleasure. By which place Dauid doth not onely shew that God created Angels,* 1.122 but also, contra∣ry to the opinion of the Greekes and Latins, that the Angels were created, when God made heauen and earth, and not as some would say, many thousands of yeares before: so that it is not chancefully done, that he first made mention of the essence of God, and then of Angels, and last of all of other creatures. The same methode he obserueth in the 148. Psalme, where he in∣uiteth all things to praise their Creator, and doth not omit the Angels, but placeth them in the first rank, lay∣ing, Laudate eum omnes Angeli eius, laudate eum om∣nes virtutes eius, and concludeth that God fashioned and created them as hee hath done all other creatures; quoniam ipse dixit & facta sunt, ipse mandauit, & crea∣ta sunt. The same order is obserued by the three men that were cast into the firy furnace at Babilon, who in their thanksgiuing doe inuite all the workes of Gods hand to blesse their Creator, and descending to parti∣culars▪ they bring in the Angels as the excellentest cre∣atures of all, harmoniously to sing and say, Benedicite omnia opera Domini Domino,* 1.123 cantate & superexal∣tate

eum in secula. Benedicite Angeli Domini, Domino; Benedicite coeli Domino. Where it is very remarkable, (that we may not digresse from the argument in hand) against those, who conceite that the creation of Angels was long before the creation of heauen, that therefore in this place and some others, the heauen is said to bee set after the Angels, thereby to figure out vnto vs the transcendency of Angels aboue all other creatures: but why the heauens should be mentioned and not the Angels, there can be no other probable and literall rea∣son rendered, then that which wee haue formerly allea∣ged.* 1.124 S. Chrysostome affirmeth that S. Iohn made mention of the creation of Angels, where he saith, Omnia per ip∣sum facta sunt, & sine ipso factum est nihil. And S. Paul doth, as it were, comment vpon this sentence of S. Iohn, as hauing bin rapt vp to heauen after him, in his Epistle to the Colossians, Quoniam in ipso condita sunt vniversa in coelis & in terra visibilia,* 1.125 & inuisibilia, siue Throni, siue dominationes, siue principatus, siue potestates, omnia per ipsum & in ipso creata sunt. And this doth vndoub∣tedly confute al the Manicheans, Marcionists, and other sectaries and disciples of Simon Magus. So that wee may from hence conclude, that God did create all An∣gels good at first, that is, perfect in all goodnesse both of nature and grace: for whatsoeuer God made, he saw that it was passing good, as Moses expresseth it: and towards the end of his Bookes hee giueth a reason of the same vnto the people, saying, Dei perfecta sunt o∣pera: Whereunto agreeth the wise-man,* 1.126 who giueth vs to vnderstand, that God made all things in number, waight and measure,* 1.127 in which the most captious can not finde the least discord or blemish. And Christ Iesus himselfe doth assure vs, that the Diuell did not persist in the truth, that is, in his first integrity wherein hee was created: and that hee was once in heauen, but was fallen from thence like lightning. S. Peter and S. Iude doe giue the reason of this fall,* 1.128 because, say they, hee

sinned against God, which sinne being folded vp in the pleates of malice and obstinacy, was without the pro∣portion of remission and pardon. The same meaning hath Iob in the 4. chapter,* 1.129 In Angelis suis reperit pra∣vitatem. And although there were no other text sutable vnto this purpose, then that which is alleaged in Saint Matthew,* 1.130 where Christ Iesus doth foretell, that he will cast the Diuell and his Angels into hell fire, yet would this bee an argument sufficient (as Theodoret well in∣ferreth) to prooue that he was created in perfection and goodnesse,* 1.131 but that from his owne desire and malice he made choice of euill, by his rebellion against God. Non est enim (saith hee) iusti Dei proprium eum punire quinecessitate malus sit. And certainely it is repugnant vnto the nature, goodnesse and iustice of God, who neuer condemneth any, that doe not through malice deserue such punishment. Hence it is that S. Augustine doth worthily reprooue Porphiry the Philosopher, be∣cause his assertion was, that there were a kinde of Spi∣rits, who from their first nature were originally euill and deceitfull. This proceeded not from their nature (saith he) but from their will. It remaineth now, that we declare what manner of sinne it was, whereof they were conuicted.* 1.132 S. Augustine giueth vs the resolution heereof, saying, Since they are Spirits, wee are not to conceiue, that they were fornicatours, drunkards, or addicted to any of those grosse vices, which haue their sting in the flesh: but we are to obserue, that there are two sorts of sinnes; the first are spirituall, because they are proper to spirituall substances, such as are pride, and enuy: the other are carnall, and proceed from the flesh. S. Augustine spake not this of his owne head,* 1.133 but grounded it vpon the Scripture, which specifying the sinnes that are peculiar vnto Satan, maketh mention of these;* 1.134 as Esay and Ezechiel when they would exagge∣rate the great ouer-weening and pride of the Kings of Babylon and Thir, he maketh a comparison betwixt Lu∣cifer

and them. And our Sauiour when he saw his Apo∣stles to be a little pussed vp and swolne in spirit, because at their words and commandement the Diuels were cast out, Reioyce not (saith hee) in this,* 1.135 for I saw Satan fall from heauen like lightning: by which words hee insinuated thus much, that the downe fall of the Diuell proceeded from pride. S. Paul also in his admonition vnto Bishops that they should be humble,* 1.136 doth charge the Bishop not to bee pussed vp with pride, least hee should fall into the same condemnation with the Di∣uell. Touching the sinne of enuy, it is also written Inui∣dia Diaboli mors intrauit in orbem terrarum. And the reason why mention of mankinde is made heerein, is, to giue vs to vnderstand, that the Diuell fell not into the sinne of enuy, till after the creation of man, and that pride was his peculiar sinne, for the which he was thrust out of heauen. Now whether it were, that by reason of his great endowments of nature, hee did so farre ouer∣ballance his owne worth, that hee might conceite that hee was able to make himselfe an associate and partaker in the diuine nature (which is the highest degree whereunto an intellectuall substance may aspire) and that by his owne naturall and peculiar forces (as Esai and Exechiel doe seeme to imply) or whether he would not acknowledge Christ Iesus the Mediatour of men and Angels for his head, which mystery might by reue∣lation be proposed vnto him, (as it was afterwards also vnfolded vnto Adam and all the fathers of the old Te∣stament) it is most certaine that from his owne will, and in the pride of his heart, he rebelled against God, so that there was a battell fought in heauen, after the man∣ner that Spirites combat one against another, by a strong renitency and resistance of the ones will a∣gainst the others, euen as wee also fight against them. But the good Angels would by no meanes adhere or fauour that damnable attempt, but resisted it with all their forces, accomplishing that which is written of

them.* 1.137 Benedicite Domino omnes Angeli eius potentes virtute, qui facitis verbum eius, ad audiendani vocem sermonum eius. Thus were the euill Spirits thrust out of heauen for their pride, whereas the good Spirits were still made blessed in the participation of the vision and presence of God. This did Christ signifie vnto his Apo∣stles, when out of pride they demanded of him, who a∣mong them should bee the greatest in the kingdome of heauen: hee tooke a litle childe by the hand saying, if you become not like vnto this litle childe,* 1.138 yee cannot enter into that kingdome: and beware how you of∣fend one of these litle ones, for their Angels doe al∣wayes see the face of my Father which is in heauen: whereby he giueth to vnderstand, that children by rea∣son of their naturall humility are like vnto Angels, which Angels by this meanes doe see the face of God. Since this great reuolte in heauen, there hath euer been a contrariety and warre betweene the will's of good and bad spirits, and betweene good and bad men also: as between Abel and Cain: Isaac and Ismael: Iacob and Esau. And this is it which S. Iohn speaketh of in the A∣pocalypse,* 1.139 that there was a great battell in heauen be∣tween Michael and his Angels, & the Dragon with his Angels: and S. Iude bringeth in the same Michael, di∣sputing and chiding with Satan. Since therefore hee is full of wickednesse, and altogether depriued of the grace of God, he can doe nothing but what is naught, and because hee cannot wreake his malice vpon the Saints in Paradise, hee conuerteth his fury against man, that is made after the image of God, and is heere seated vpon the earth, that hee may worship his Creator, and acknowledge and serue him with his whole heart, that so he may at length participate of that diuine glory and felicity, which the Diuell by reason of his pride is vt∣terly depriued of, as we haue already alleaged. And this is the next pointe, which offereth it selfe to considera∣tion, in the ensueing chapter.

CHAP. IIII. The meanes which Diuels haue, to appeare and come vn∣to vs; in what part of the world they reside; how they are bound; and their sundrie waies to tempt men.

TOuching the meanes which Spirits haue to performe this, the scripture teacheth vs,* 1.140 that in their downe-fall from heauen, some re∣mained in the middle region of the aire, which is darksome & obscure, because the Sun-beames passe through the same without refraction of any solid body, which by repercussion might double their force and light, and without which they shine not at all: as is euidently seene in a caue, where there is no light at all perceiued, but in the place where the sunne-beame doth fall. And although we had no other proofe, then that generall rule of Saint Ierome, it might sufficiently euince the same: for these are his very words; Omnium doctorum opinio est, quod aër iste,* 1.141 qui coelum & terram medius diuidens, inane appellatur, plenus sit contrarys fortitudinibus. Since then there was neuer any Doctor of the Church, which made scruple of the truth hereof, wee must thinke that they had good warrant for the same from the Scripture. They did no doubt consider, that our Lord in the parable of the seede, did by the birds of heauen, which deuoured the corne,* 1.142 vnderstand and also interpret it to be the Diuels, whom he calleth the birds of heauen, thereby meaning the aire, accor∣ding to the vsuall Hebrew phrase, and agreeable vnto our maner of speech also, who commonly say, the raine falleth from heauen, when the meaning is, from the aire. For as S. Ierome hath well obserued, all Philosophers doe agree in their opinions,* 1.143 that the clouds (by the dis∣soluing of which the raine is engendred) are not drawne vp aboue two miles at the most from the earth, where∣as the distance betwixt heauen and earth is incompa∣rably

greater. And this is S. Pauls meaning, when hee telleth the Ephesians,* 1.144 that our fight is not chiefly a∣gainst men, but against the princes of this world, which are the wicked spirits, that haue their abode aboue in high places: and as himselfe explaneth all these autho∣rities in the second chapter of the same Epistle, by these high places he meaneth the aire: Secundum seculum mundi huius (saith hee) secundum principem potestatis aëris huius, spiritus qui nunc operaetur in filios diffiden∣tiae.* 1.145 (Which is also declared by S. Iude in his Canonicall epistle) shewing that these wicked spirits are abiding in that darksome aire, & are there reserued for the day of iudgement, when they shall heare these words, Goe yee cursed into hell fire, which is from the beginning prepared for the Diuell and his angels. His words are these: An∣gelos qui non seruauerunt suum principatum, sed dereli∣querunt suum domicilium in indicium magni diei, vincu∣lis aeternis sub caligine reseruauit. And here may be fit∣ly alleaged that which is written in S. Luke,* 1.146 where it is related, that the Diuels besought Christ Iesus, not to send them out into the deepe, but rather into the heard of swine: and they doe likewise complaine vnto our Sauiour, saying, Vt quid venisti ante tempus torquere nos? As if they should haue said, we are assured of our totall and vtter damnation, but the time thereof is not yet come, for this shall bee put in execution at the last day of iudgement, which being not yet present, thou maist doe well to leaue vs in these parts, vntill that time approch. The like may be said of that place in the Re∣uelation,* 1.147 Vah mari & terrae, quia descendit diabolus ad vos, habens iram magnam: and it is againe declared in the same booke, that our aduersarie the diuell was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. And that wee may resolue, what the difference is betweene the diuels that are in hell, and those whose abode is in the aire, al∣though S. Ierome maketh daintie to meddle with it, be∣cause he conceiued it to be from the matter, whereof he

intreated,* 1.148 as also for that hee feared (as himselfe excu∣seth it) lest hee should trespasse too farre vpon the rea∣ders patience, in dwelling so long vpon this argument; yet will we speake somewhat of the same, because this present discourse doth demaund it. It is an infallible truth, that there are great multitudes of wicked spirits, who abide in that gloomie region of the aire, and come also lower and neerer vnto vs, which God in his proui∣dence hath and doth permit. First, because himselfe im∣ployeth these his creatures, although it be in base and seruile offices; as a King or ciuill Iustice are accustomed to condemne certaine malefactors not vnto death, but vnto the performance of some worke, which aduanta∣geth these offenders nothing at all, but is onely charged with laboriousnesse and toyle, and tendeth meerely to the publike good. Thus were many in times past ba∣nished, or confined to some Isle or mountaine, to la∣bour and digge in the Quarries of Marble, for the Prin∣ces profit and behoofe, and did euer carrie their chaines of iron on their feete, and had a good guard to watch them. The like is done vnto those that are slaues in the Galleys. Secondly, for our exercise,* 1.149 as S. Bernard hath it, and it is also the obseruation of S. Hierome, who ap∣plieth this vnto the Iebusites, Philistins, and other bar∣barous people, that by diuine permission were left in the borders and skirts of the land of promise, to exercise the people of y^e Iewes, who otherwise would haue spurned at Gods commandements: and these were the type and figure of those wicked spirits, that Christ Iesus after his death and passion, was to leaue in the aire, to exercise vs in whatsoeuer is good and praise-worthy: as sand which of it selfe is fruitlesse and barren, yet serueth very fitly to scoure and make bright the vessels of gold or of siluer, which are carefully looked vnto in the great house of a father of a familie. Thus was Iob exercised, and thus haue all good men been tried, as S. Paul witnesseth of himselfe and saith,* 1.150 that hee endured the buffetings of

Satan:* 1.151 and doth conclude in the Epistle aboue cited, where he mentioneth these things, that Christ our Re∣deemer, doth by the merits of his death and passion lend vnto vs all, a compleate armour, that so we may be the true champions of God. The sword is the word of God (saith he) the helmer, hope: the corslet, charitie: and the shield,* 1.152 faith, as S. Peter saith, Cuiresistite fortes in fi∣de. To be briefe, if wee be thus armed, the Diuell shall haue no power ouer vs,* 1.153 as S. Augustine obserueth. First, because as soone as wee brandish these spirituall wea∣pons against him, hee presently turneth his backe and flieth from vs, which S. Iames also witnesseth, Resistite (saith he) Diabolo,* 1.154 & fugiet à vobis. Secondly, because he can doe no good vpon those that doe resist him, and onely gaineth on those that make no preparation to stand against him, Non vincit nisi volentem. Being ho∣uering so neere about vs, they haue yet a curbe & snaffle to restraine them, and that is Gods prouidence, which either by the ministerie of good Angels, or otherwise as it shall seeme good vnto him, doth hold in their rage and malice with so strong a hand, that they haue no power to do that which is within the compasse of their naturall forces,* 1.155 and like slaues they are faine first to aske leaue of God, before they dare attempt any thing. Thus we see the Diuell asked leaue of God to afflict Iob in his person and goods;* 1.156 and the Diuels mentioned in the Gospell dared not to enter into the swine, vntill they had gotten particular license from Christ Iesus,* 1.157 as Ter∣tullian sheweth at large. Of this curbe S. Paul speaketh, when he saith,* 1.158 Fidelis Deus qui non patietur vos tentari supra id quod potestis. He permitteth Satan to do many things, but with such limitations, that those assaults wherwithal he would force vs, are neuer aboue our abi∣lities of resistance. We are not therefore to dispute, and aske the reason why God afflicteth one man more then another, and that by such diuersities of temptations, let it suffice that he knoweth, when a young man like

vnto Dauid, hath both courage and force to encounter with the Giant Goliah, which attempt would haue crushed in peeces the strongest men in Israel, as flesh and blood would haue conceiued. The Diuell doth thus trie and exercise vs, both out of malice which hee beareth towards God, and out of enuie which hee car∣rieth vnto vs; by which hee doth daily make full the measure of his punishments. For wee are to note, that those Diuels, who after their creation offended most by their pride, malice and ingratitude, were cast into the deepest dungeon of hell, and are already tortured with all the extremitie that may bee; but they that did not transgresse in that heighth of wickednesse, fell no lower then the aire, and do there acquire vnto themselues new damnation, not in their depriuation of the vision of God, for that is common to them all, but in the acces∣sion and increase of paine in the pit of hell. And this the Doctors of S. Ieromes time were wont to relate,* 1.159 saying, that if a Christian did resist the Diuels tempta∣tions, he doth not only aduantage himselfe thereby, but doth doe a good turne vnto the Diuell his aduersarie, because by this meanes hee is not punishable with so great torments, as if hee had ouercome the Christian: whereas else he should be plagued for the same, in that he was the cause of that sinne. Hereupon it is that the Diuels were afraid to be sent into the deepes,* 1.160 after they had a long time tempted and tormented the poore Iew. This prouidence of God hath in like sort withheld it selfe from casting them all into the lowest bottome of the pit of hell, although they are tied vp for the most part in some quarter of the world: which is nothing else, but when God commandeth them not to budge from a certaine set place, and restraineth their workings elsewhere. And this ligation, or chaining vp, is the grea∣test torment vnto them that may be••in regard that they are Spirits, and therefore of a generous and actiue na∣ture, fashioned with all free scope and libertie to worke

in all places, which they haue a minde vnto. And there∣fore doth Tertullian call them quodammodo volucres,* 1.161 because they are of a more excellent agilitie, then the swiftest bird when he is vpon his wing. So that wee are to conceiue, that by this restraint and confinement they are as it were cooped vp in a cage; and are not able to flie vp and downe to execute their purposes, by reason of this compulsorie detainment: but are infinitly vexed at this commandement which God imposeth vpon thē. Thus must the passage in the booke of Tobias be vnder∣stood,* 1.162 where it is said, that Raphael tooke the Diuell Asmodeus (which in Hebrew signifieth a banished man) and banished him into the desert of the vpper Ae∣gypt: and in like manner that passage in the Apoca∣lypse is thus to be interpreted,* 1.163 where it is said that Sa∣tan was bound and loosed againe: which importeth nothing but this, that all his power and actiuitie was for a time taken from him by God, and was afterwards restored vnto him againe. For in the last daies of the world he shall be vntied,* 1.164 and shall haue full permission giuen vnto him to powre foorth all his rage and ve∣nome vpon the children of God, yea so farre shall the authoritie of Antichrist gaine vpon the world, as that they shall be able to worke miracles, as to make fire vi∣sibly to descend from heauen, and such like wonders, described at large by S. Iohn in the Reuelation.* 1.165 But the Diuell is now tied vp from doing of these things, al∣though in his owne nature he be able to doe as much mischiefe as hee did in Iobs time, and as hee will doe, when Antichrist shall bee borne. Hee was confined and chained vp by the death and passion of Christ Ie∣sus, from speaking any more by Oracles, as appeareth by the Apocalypse, and as experience it selfe teacheth vs: but when the end of the world shall approch, hee shall speake vnto men in a more familiar manner, and shall appeare vnto them in a visible shape. All which discourses are epitomized in a word by Saint Thomas,

when he saith,* 1.166 Daemones dicuntur ligari quando impedi∣untur agere, quae naturaliter possunt, & solui, quando permittuntur. The Diuell then hauing this permission, like a subtle serpent, and one that well vnderstandeth his grounds whereupon hee buildeth his attempts, hee practiseth diuers and cunning slights to inueagle and gaine vpon the sillines of men: which we may manifest∣ly see in two visible apparitions set downe in the Scrip∣tures,* 1.167 the one in the old, the other in the new Testa∣ment; and this ought to be sufficient to informe our be∣leefe heerein. It also plainly appeareth by the experi∣ence which the good old father Anthonius Monachus had thereof,* 1.168 whose history is written at large by Saint Athanasius for in that discourse it seemeth, that this good man was selected by God himselfe, expresly to indure the assaults of Satan both sensibly and visibly so that we may learne from him what the subtilties of the Diuell are, and what meanes we haue to keepe vs from his snares and ambushes. Touching the first visible ap∣parition of Satan, which is described in the third chap. of Genes.* 1.169 it thereby appeareth that he may take a visi∣ble body vpon him, and so appeare vnto men, not that it is in his power to take a body vpon him when hee pleaseth,* 1.170 for the confusion and danger that might grow thereby would be exceeding great. Repraesentaret enim se vxori tanquam maritus, seruo tanquam Dominus, re∣ligioso tanquam Praelatus, poenitenti tanquam Confessa∣rius, & sic nullus esset securus, & tentaremur suprae id quod possemus, 1. Corinth. 10. Et esset contra prouiden∣tiam Dei. He is therefore inhibited and restrained by the omnipotencie of God, as both S. Augustine, and S. Thomas doe notably shew: but God doth sometimes permit the same, partly to force a beleefe vpon our vn∣derstandings, that there are wicked spirits, which pra∣ctise nothing else then how they may destroy vs, and partly to informe vs how foule and vgly these vncleane spirits bee, since the time that they were chased from

God, and tooke armes against him. For now the Diuell appeares in a fearfull and hideous shape, as in the forme of a Serpent, or some such deformed beast. And there∣fore in the beginning of the Bible he is set foorth vnto vs like a venomous snake, which is agreeable vnto the second reason, and in the beginning of the Gospell preached by Christ Iesus, he is described to be one full of talke and pratling (which-answereth the first reason) but he hath no other end in this talke then to snare vs, and to breake our neckes. And from the abundance of his cunning, his custome is to accommodate and fit himselfe vnto the humour of those whom hee would circumuent; wherein he sheweth himselfe to bee Gods ape, who doth descend vnto our capacitie and imper∣fection, and doth practise that saying of Paul: Omnia omnibus factus sum,* 1.171 vt omnes lucrifacerem. Thus when the Diuell commeth vnto a silly woman that hath little knowledge, but what by nature and sense is prompted to her, he wil straight begin to derogate from God, and to make it questionable whether those things that are affirmed of him be true, or no. And because he know∣eth that this sex is very liquorous of honour and great∣nes, he will not stick to make large promises vnto them. And in the third place, beside the exquisite meates and drinkes, he further promiseth vnto them all sensuall and fleshly pleasures whatsoeuer: all which temptations are easily discerned in the assaults which hee vsed, to tempt the first woman,* 1.172 who representeth vnto vs all those that forget God and his blessings. For it is a certaine truth, that if hee had applied himselfe vnto Adam, hee would haue laboured his subuersion by more couert & guile∣full meanes then hee vsed towards the woman. And therefore S. Paul attributeth the glory of this conquest to haue proceeded from a womanish simplicitie, con∣cluding in these words: Ne sicut serpens seduxit Euam, ita seducantur sensus vestri à simplicitate quae est in Christo Iesu. But when he was to tempt Christ Iesus, he

tooke another course, for without any derogation from God (because a man of a setled vnderstanding and faith doth abhorre such grossenes, and stoppeth his eares a∣gainst it) hee beginneth with that which seemeth to haue no apparancie of euill, but rather to haue bin vsed by holy men, as Moyses did by his prayer change the blood of the riuer into water, and made the rocke to gush forth with fresh and wholesome streames, as it is written: Qui conuertit petram in stagna aquarum,* 1.173 for then the people were in great extremitie for water. So he laboured to perswade Christ Iesus to make the stones bread,* 1.174 when as it might seeme hee had neede of suste∣nance, and was in the desert as Moyses was. Secondly, knowing that Christ Iesus was conuersant in the holie Scriptures, and would be most attentiue vnto them, he alleageth diuers passages from thence. And being able to doe no good that way, he offereth vnto him the Mo∣narchie of the world; knowing, that science puffeth vp those that haue no charitie, and maketh them beleeue that they are able to sit at the sterne, and gouerne the whole world better then any other whatsoeuer. To conclude, he resembleth the Crocadiles of Aegypt, who when they perceiue a traueller neere vnto Nilus, they begin to faine the voyce of a man, weeping and taking on as if they had great neede of succour, and when the poore man shall simply make his approch, he is sudden∣ly deuoured. S. Athanasius reciteth, that on a time the Diuell did thus plaine himselfe,* 1.175 neere vnto the Cell of of that godly Father Antonius, who demanding him what he was, hee answered (when hee saw that hee was discouered) that he had iust cause to complaine, for all the world did taxe and burthen him to be the author of all the villanies that were done, although he were very innocent and free from any such matter. And some∣times hee would sing Psalmes, the better to insinuate himselfe vnto him; but hee stopped his eares against him, and would take no heed what the Diuell did sing,

practising that which is written,* 1.176 Ego autem tanquam surdus non audiebam. At other times he presented him∣selfe before him with great glorie, transforming him∣selfe into an Angell of light; but he shut his eyes, and would not gaze vpon the beautie of Satan: so that when hee perceiued that he could gaine nothing by all these baites and allurements, (for by his often prayers, weeping, and fasting, hee had obtained the gift which S. Paul calleth discretio spiritum) he then came vpon him with a hideous noise to affright him,* 1.177 sometimes appearing in the semblance of a Dragon, and some∣times in the shape of some other dreadfull beast: and then he would stand before him like a man, but of such an enormous and vast size and stature, that he seemed greater then any giant, and did touch the cloudes with his head, although his feete stood vpon the ground. Then would hee make a great noise as if the Cell had been inuironed with horses, chariots, and armed men; but he euer recommended himselfe vnto God, and re∣garded not these collusions of the Diuell, remembring that which is written:* 1.178 Hi in curribus, & hi in equis, nos autem in nomine Domini nostri inuocabimus. The Diuell forgot not to cast wedges of gold in his way by which he was to passe, that so he might baite him with auarice, yet at the signe of the crosse (saith S. Athana∣sius) they all presently vanished. He also appeared vnto him in the shape of a woman to tempt him vnto the sin of the flesh; and when by none of these meanes hee could preuaile against him, hee then began to exhort him to watch,* 1.179 and spend the whole night in prayers, to fast often, and to practise all other spirituall exercises, that so hee might either breed a disgust of these things in him, as being perswaded thereunto by the enemie of nature, or at the least, that hee might seeme to do some∣thing at his request: but this holy man, who might well say with S. Paul,* 1.180 non ignoramus astutias eius, did not for all that, disaccustome his holy exercises, but rather

encreased his deuotion, not because the Diuell com∣manded it, but because Christ Iesus taught it both by word and example: knowing well that whatsoeuer the Diuel saith or doth, it is for an ill purpose,* 1.181 and therefore by how much the lowder hee was in his confession, that Christ Iesus was the Sonne of God, by so much the more did Christ check his speech, and commanded him to silence. The last way which hee vsed was in chiding him for his austerity of life, shewing vnto him that this was a rigorous, strict & burthensome way, and it would be a means to hasten his destruction being one of Gods creatures, rather then to enable him for his seruice, and that it was no sin to vse the creatures of God freely with thanksgiuing, so that there were no excesse or gor∣mundizing in the same. Lastly, hee threatned to beate him and to kill him by breaking his neck. But hee was readily answered, that since hee could not hurt the least sheepe that Iob had,* 1.182 nor enter into the heard of swine without leaue, much lesse could he endamage a man who is sheltered vnder the wing of Gods protection, and who hath the haires of his head numbred, so that not one of them can fall to the ground without the expresse will of God.

CHAP. V. That the Diuels scope is to make himselfe to be worship∣ped as a God, and to deceiue men:* 1.183 that the Diuell knoweth not things to come, neither can be penetrat•• or diue into the secrets of mans heart.

WHen we would speake definitiuely of the Diuell, and inquire into his nature, we must euer call to minde those two sinnes which are peculiar vnto Satan, and that is, Pride and Enuy: for from these two spirituall vices, all other effects doe streame forth as

from two plentifull fountaines. Therefore as at the first he,* 1.184 together with his Angels did sinne thorow pride, and would iniuriously inuade God, and share with him in equality of glory, so doth he still persist in this per∣uersenes, and remaineth hardned thorow the great im∣penitency and obduratnesse which swayeth in him, in somuch that he doth not yet forbeare to say in his heart, Similis ero altissimo. This he practised from the begin∣ning, for if we behold what manner of conference hee held with the woman, it is easily seene, that hee did driue all vnto this head, that she would worship him as a God. When a tyrant would by vsurpation take vpon him another mans kingdome, hee laboureth to eclipse the naturall Prince, and to perswade all men that him∣selfe ought to be receiued and acknowledged for their true soueraigne: so when Satan would perswade Eue, that God did grudge and enuy them, and would be ve∣ry much grieued that they should bee aduanced vnto that height, whereunto their owne excellency did car∣ry them, the conclusion and inference that was to bee made thereupon, could imply nothing else but that they were to conceiue that this God was not the true God, because the true God like a true father wil straine his vttermost endeauours, to set his childrens fortunes high and in the top of honour: and further, since he de∣sired to bee thought such a one as did long for nothing more then their aduancement, and seemed for that pur∣pose to appeare, and to speake familiarly vnto them, although hee was of an inuisible nature, and of a sub∣stance more refined and excellent then theirs, yet did he make shew that hee was willing to direct and guide them to the supreamest felicity, euen to bee like vnto God; from thence be might easily conclude that he was the true God, and therefore as the true God was to be worshipped by them. Neither was his purpose wholly frustrated, for many nations haue since conceiued, that the Serpent, which spake by the Serpent, was the true

God: insomuch as the Greeks haue from hence drawne their etymologie of Serpents,* 1.185 as S. Athanasius hath well obserued, for (saith he) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say, a Serpent is so called from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say, one that speaketh, because it was the Serpent that spake to our first parents. For they had an opinion that this speech was for the great benefit and good of mankinde: which conceite was not onely intertayned by the Grecians, but passed for currant thorow the whole Romane Empire, after that an Oracle had told them that the plague which raigned in Rome should haue no end,* 1.186 vntill they had sent vnto the God Aesculapius. The Ambassadors who were purposely designed for this imployment, being come vnto the place which the Oracle had pointed out vnto them, found a great Serpent, which they tooke in∣to their ship and carryed to Rome, where he remained for the space of three dayes. And Valerius Maximus maketh sober and serious mention of the same, as being a matter that much conduced vnto the worship of the Gods, and Ouid shameth not to call it his God

Cum cristis aureus altis In Serpente Deus praenuncia sibila misit.* 1.187

Lucian hath composed a treatise heereof,* 1.188 and affirmeth that the Oracles, which proceeded from the mouth of a certaine Serpent, lead vp and downe by a Magician called Alexander, were more diuine, and to be held in greater veneration then those that came from Priests, because (saith hee) these came immediatly from the ve∣ry mouth of God. Nay, which is more to be wondered, there were hereticks in the primitiue Church that affir∣med so much, and were perswaded that the Serpent which spake vnto Eue was a true God:* 1.189 and therefore their custome was to place a Serpent vpon their Altar, vnto whom they offered their sacrifices, and heereupon were called Ophites, that is to say, Serpentines, or peo∣ple that adored Serpents. Of farre greater probabilitie was the conceite of the Assyrians, Chaldeans, and other

Easterne nations,* 1.190 who affirmed (as appeareth by the writings of Pherecides Syrus) that the great God of heauen hath chased away all the Diuels from thence, whose captaines name was Ophianus, that is to say in latine Serpertinus: these Ophites haue in this (as La∣ctantius well answereth the Idolaters) much abused themselues mistaking black for white, and the Prince of Diuels for the Prince of men who is God alone. All this digression tendeth to no other end, then to declare that the true intendment of that old Serpent the Diuel, was, to make himselfe to bee adored as a God, which doth clearly appeare in the whole progresse of those temptations which he vsed against Christ Iesus: for the last assault he reserued these words, which were indeed the very marke and scope whereunto he leuelled all his temptations,* 1.191 Si cadens adoraueris me. From hence it a∣riseth that he hath caused Temples to be built for him, Altars to be erected, feasts to be ordeined, Priests to be interteined, and Sacrifices to bee presented vnto him, because he seeth that God hath ordeined the same for his seruice; not (as S. Augustine well sheweth, that hee is pleased with the smell of the rost proceeding from these creatures or the like, but because hee is much de∣lighted that the honours which are due vnto God should be mis-applyed vnto him. Wherein he seedeth himselfe with a fantasticall shew of contentment to see himselfe in apparence honoured for a God, although he be damned and tortured for euermore. Daemones non cadauerinis nidoribus (saith S. Augustine) sed diuinis honoribus gaudent.* 1.192 To maintaine himselfe in this state and greatnesse, he could not deuise a readier way then to speake familiarly to men, and to tell them those things which were secret and hidden;* 1.193 and this hee doth by way of Oracles, the first whereof we may tearme the Oracle of the Serpent speaking vnto Eue. For what im∣porteth it whether hee entered into the body of a Ser∣pent, or into a statue of marble? This hindereth not,

but that a man may well say, that the first Oracle was, when hee spake vnto the first woman. And therefore doth Tertullian iustly place the first woman in the first catalogue of hereticks,* 1.194 because to speake so familiarly vnto the Diuell, was an apostacy. After the stood, Ora∣cles began to be more frequent, and had their originall from the posterity of Cham: whereupon it came that the most auncient Oracle which wee find in Authors is Oraculum Hammonium, as if we should say,* 1.195 Oraculum Chammonium: for the name of Cham is written in He∣brew with a strong aspiration, and therefore our trans∣latour rather maketh it Cham then Ham, although it be all one in sense, and the very name doth sufficiently shew that the antiquity and originall of Oracles after the flood came from Cham, who was cursed of God, and of his father: and this inuention of worshipping the Diuell was found out by him to build vp the city of the Diuell, as Cain had formerly begun to oppugne the city of God built by Abel and continued vntill Noah.* 1.196 We also see in the Scripture that wicked Kings did send vnto the Oracles of the Gentiles, as vnto Acharon and other places to haue their doubts and questions resol∣ued and answered. Thus Satan hath not forgotten his old wont, but as hee would at the first haue inuaded Gods honour, by predictions of hidden and future things vnto the first woman, Apperientur (saith he) o∣culi vestri & eritis sicut Dij scientes bonnm & malum, so now also would hee continue his cosenage amongst men who haue a naturall desire and curiositie to know secret and future things, which they drew from Adams depraued nature, who desired to become as God, knowing that the property of God is to diue into all hidden euents, especially to vnderstand mens thoughts and things to come. The Scripture teacheth vs these two points: the first in Ieremy, * 1.197 Inscrutabile est cor ho∣minis, & quis cognoscet illud? Ego Dominus probans re∣nes & corda. And for the second point Esay saith, An∣nunciate

nobis quae ventura sunt, & dicemus, quia dij estis vos.* 1.198 So that if we shall more narrowly sist into the passages of histories, we shall find that Oracles tended to no other end then to beget an admiration in men, and to relish and giue contentment vnto that pride which naturally is rooted in them. Yet the truth is, that the Diuels neuer vnderstood either the one or the other of these points of knowing things hidden or to come: which we will a little enlarge, that the curious of these times may know how much they abuse themselues, in thinking that they are able to attaine vnto the know∣ledge of these two things, either by a secret league or familiarity with the Diuell, or otherwise by supersti∣tions and Magick. For the first, Diuines haue learnedly laboured in the same, grounding their discourses vpon that sentence of Ieremy, and vpon the saying of S. Paul, Nemo scit quid sit in homine,* 1.199 nisi spiritus hominis qui in ipso est:* 1.200 and Dauid also doth often appropriat that vnto God alone Scrutans corda & renes Deus. So that man alone doth by nature know what hee thinketh in his heart, which no other substance can search into but God onely.* 1.201 This is well verified in the history of Nabu∣chodonosox, who when hee had forgotten his dreame, would haue had his southsayers to diuine what it was: but it was told him that he demanded an impossibility. Sermo enim quem tu quaeris res grauis est, neo reperietur quisquam qui indicet illum in conspectu Regis, exceptis dijs quorum non est cum hominibus conuersatio. Where it is very obseruable, that hee had assembled not onely Philosophers and Astrologers, but Magicians also, as the text expresly declareth: and although it be certaine that these Magicians had contracted secret familiarity with wicked spirits, whom peraduenture they might conceite to be Gods, yet doe they set a distance▪ and difference betwixt the Gods that doe sometimes con∣uerse with men, and those who hold no traffick or in∣tercourse with them: nay they doe confesse that those

who familiarly conuerse with men, can by no meanes vnderstand that which is hidden in mens hearts: but in the end Daniel gaue the resolution of it, saying, My∣sterium quod Rex interrogat, sapientes, magi, areoli, & aruspices nequeunt indicare regi, sed Deus est in coelo reuelans mysteria, qui indicauit tibi Nabuchodonosor quae ventura sunt nouissimis temporibus. Dydimus Saint Ieromes master doth of set purpose handle this pointe, proouing that the holy Ghost is therefore the true God, because he entereth into the chamber of the heart, and openeth the most secret cogitations there. And hee giueth the naturall reason of this, for the soule hath no quantity or corporall dimensions, but is a pure and spi∣ritual substance, not bounded in by any limits whatsoe∣uer, but only by that natiue purenesse wherin it was cre∣ated, so that it must needs follow, that if any thing doe penetrate this substance, it must bee the very vncom∣pounded substance of the soule, or that quickning ver∣tue which was able to put life into the fame: so that there are but these two things absolutly simple and without mixture in the soule. The Diuel thē can neither be the substance, nor the life of the soule, and therefore cannot penetrate into it: but God it is who giueth this vertue of life vnto the soule, and without whose con∣currence the essence and life of the same would pre∣sently be consumed to nothing, and be as it was before the creation of it: whereupon Dydimus saith, * 1.202 Imparti∣cipabilis Diabolus est non creator sed creatura subsi∣stens, introiuit ergo in cor Iudae, non secundum substan∣tiam, sed secundum operationem, quia introire in aliquem increatae est substantiae. Heereupon hee concludeth,* 1.203 that whereas we finde that the Diuell entred into the heart of Iudas, it must bee vnderstood of Iudas his will: and whereas he is said to fill the heart of Ananias, the mea∣ning is, that he filled it with his suggestions of malice, of auariciousnesse, and the like enormities: which can not enter into a man, vnlesse he set his heart open, and

giue consent to these temptations. And the very word (to tempt) importeth nothing else but an essay or triall of something. Satan then doth endeauour to informe himselfe of our goodnesse or naughtinesse, and if hee may coniecture, that there are some feeds of goodnesse in the heart, hee imployeth all his forces to shake the same by those obiects and deuises which hee daily pra∣ctiseth.* 1.204 S. Ierome, Dydimus his scholler hath learnedly opened this point, and as it were commented vpon that which his master obscurely deliuered. They that con∣ceite (saith he) that wicked thoughts proceed from the Diuell, and not rather from their owne depraued will, are worthy to bee sharpely reprooued: for the Diuell may suggest and occasion wicked thoughts in men, but cannot be the author of them. Hee is indeed an Incen∣diary, and setteth our flesh on fire with burning sensu∣alitie, yet can he not reach the inward part of our heart, but doth coniecture of the same by the habite and be∣hauiour which hee obserueth in vs: as when hee seeth a man gazing often vpon a woman, and applying him∣selfe wholly vnto her, he presently from hence doth sur∣mise, that he beginneth to commit adultery in his heart, whereupon hee doth forthwith minister vnto him oc∣casion of incouragement, putting many fancies into his head, which when hee reiecteth not, but rather de∣lighteth to entertaine them still, of himselfe and from his owne freewill he sendeth them vnto his soule. The Diuell abuseth those that are made to beleeue, that hee knoweth the secresies of the heart; hee may peraduen∣ture haue some coniecturall knowledge, but because it is in the liberty of mans freewill to abandon and giue ouer such fancies when hee pleaseth, the Diuell is oft cousened of his aime, and prooueth a notorious lyar. S. Augustine hath made a treatise of this very argument, intituled,* 1.205 De scientia daemonum, where hee largely handleth the same, and concludeth, that they can no more foretell of things to come, then they are able to

discerne the thoughts that are within vs. Yet would the Diuell seeme to make predictions of future accidents,* 1.206 by the answeres of Oracles. The king Ochosias did pur∣posely send messengers vnto them, to vnderstand whe∣ther hee should recouer his sicknesse, or no: and Saul did the like, that hee might bee informed, what should be the yssue of the battell which he was to fight against the Philistims, whereby they offended against the ex∣presse word of God, which saith, Non aocedetis ad Magos, neque ab••hariolis aliquid sciscitabimini.* 1.207 And this was the occasion of their ruine, where we may ob∣serue, that it ordinarily by Gods permission so falleth out, that if the Diuell (whether it be personally by him∣selfe, or by any oracle of his, be it liuing or be it dead) do foretell any good fortune, it seldome falleth out to bee true, but if hee foretell any mischance, it doth as∣suredly prooue to bee so, because commonly such mis∣fortune is the punishment of this Apostasie. And this is easily discerned in the history of Saul, and must remaine vnto vs as a Maxime or generall rule, which is also the obseruation of S. Chrysostome,* 1.208 Vide locum in fine huius capituli. Also S. Athanasius in his resolution of this pointe to the Prince of Antioche, doth soberly proceed in his discourse by experiences. There be two things (saith he) which neither the good nor the bad Angels are able to vnderstand, and they are, the secrets of the heart, and things that are to come. It is true (saith hee) that sometimes Magicians (whom I tearme the liuing oracles of the Diuel) doe foretell that which doth after∣wards happen, by the fore knowledge and reuelations of Diuels, but their predictions are of euents that are already happened in other places; as for example, when they see it raine in India, and that the weather is fit and likely to carry those cloudes towards Egypt, he maketh his oracles to foretell, that it will very shortly raine in Egypt: so when he obserueth the abundance of snow that lieth vpon hills, is melted, or beginneth to melt,

he so resheweth that Nilus or some such great riuer, will ouerflow their bankes: so that he telleth nothing but what he seeth, onely this aduantage he hath, that by his nimblenesse hee pre••enteth the effects, which birds themselues might do, if they were indued with naturall reason: yea many times they do foretell things in their flight from one climate to another; in so much as many Philosophers haue bin held in admiration, for their di∣uinations of those things: which they obserued by their knowledge of the nature of these birdes. Therefore Saint Athanasius doth conclude. Resolue with your selues to do something, whereof none can haue the least coniecture, and then go vnto the Deuils Oracles, who are the Magicians, and aske them if they can informe you of this which you haue determined to do, and you shall finde them vtterly ignorant, and vnable to satisfie you.* 1.209 Saint Athanasius had heard Anthonius Mona∣chus discourse of this argument, and it is probable, that he had most of his resolutions from him, as from one that had the best experience heereof of any man in the world:for we finde that hee heere reciteth all most the very same sentences which hee did formerly alleage in the discourse of Anthonies life: where hee addeth, that the Deuils do no more, then one that rideth post and aduertiseth vs of some things that are done farre from vs; or as a Physitian who by feeling a mans pulses, will shew him that hee is likely to fall into a feauer: or as a husband-man who seeing a glutt and ouerflow of waters, will foretell a scarcity of corne to ensue: to conclude (saith he) they know what∣soeuer is already done, not what is to come: yet from hence did Idolatry and all those newe Gods of the hea∣then take their beginning, and they were esteemed by the simple people to be the true Gods. And this asserti∣on which is so waighty, and of such importance, may be strengthened both by Scripture, & by prophane au∣thors also: for the most famous Oracles that euer were,

did flourish in the time of Cyrus, in Affricke,* 1.210 and in Greece, as Herodotus writeth: in which times the Pro∣phets Esay, Ezekiel, Daniel, and others had foretold diuers great mutations, which were to befall the most renowned Nations of the world, as the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Grecians, and the Romanes: yea th••y were so plaine as to point out the Grecians, and to call Cyrus by his proper name; the like did the Sybilles also foreshowe. Now when the Deuils were thus armed, they then began to foretell that which they had stollen from the Reuelation of Prophets, and to deliuer the great euents of things. But if a man did offer to decline from these paths, and did question them of lesse affaires, and of particular businesses, whereof they could haue no knowledge or coniecture, they did so mince and perplexe their predictions with ambiguous speeches, that whatsoeuer should happen, they would still haue a hansome shift and euasion. Many graue authors both amongst the Greekes and Latins, haue handled this pointe, and amongst the Latins,* 1.211 we haue many notable passages of Lactantius; and of S. Ierome, who hath de∣scended vnto some particulars heerein; saying Apollo Delphicus & Loxias, Delius{que}, & Clarius, & caetera Idola, futurorum scientiam pollicentes, reges potentissi∣mos deceperunt: and hee alleageth many examples of their ignorance: but (saith hee) if there were no other thing to discouer their weaknesse but this, that they could not foretell their owne ruine vpon the comming of Christ Iesus in the flesh, it would sufficiently prooue their imbecillity in the apprehension of things to come. It is reported, that a good vnderstanding man, who was desirous to trie the blockishnesse of a Magician, or Chiromantick, did shew him his left hand, to haue his fortune told him; and as the Magician was attentiuely vewing the lineaments of his hand, hee strooke him with his right hand a sound boxe on the eare saying vn∣to him, if thou knowest things that are to come, why

dost thou not first learne that which doth concerne thy selfe? this saith Saint Ierome of Oracles. Where by the way we may see, how grossely they are abused, who make any compacts and bargaines with this vncleane Spirit, vpon promise to vnderstand from them those euents that are afterwards to follow: as also how gree∣uously they offend, who addresse themselues vnto such kind of people, which is no lesse then to apply them∣selues vnto the Oracles themselues, as the Idolaters of former times did, since the Deuill is he that speaketh both in the one and in the other: And this is that feare∣full Apostasie from the faith, which is so frequently for∣bidden in the law of God.* 1.212 But saith this good father Anthonius, what good shall a man get in suffering himselfe to bee palpably cousened, and in stead of a Carkanet, to buy a bracelet of cockles? especially since this is the way to estrange him from God, and to make him sell his poore soule vnto the Deuill for meere lies and gulleries. But put case, that hee told vs truth, yet should we not labour to get this knowledge from the enemy of God and mankinde, for feare he conuey poy∣son into this hony, as hee did vnto our first parents. Hereupon it was that our Sauiour commanded the Deuill to hold his peace,* 1.213 although hee spake pure truth. And albeit (saith this good Monke Anthonius) hee should appeare vnto vs full of splendour and brightnes, as sometimes he transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light, yet are we to shut our eyes, and to turne aside our face from the light which proceedeth from the De∣uill. The history of Saul doth declare, that hee had done what lay in his power, to know that which did so much import him, and had addressed himselfe vnto God and vnto the Preists,* 1.214 and Prophets, till at the last when he saw, that God would make him no answere, he went as at the last cast vnto a witch, and that hastened on his ruine. Let vs learne then to make our addresse vnto God, and if he do not aide vs forth-with, yet to

hope still in him, and to waite his leasure with patience: knowing that all doth worke together for our good: But wee will speake heereof more at large in the ensu∣ing Chapter. There is another obseruation which Saint Chrysostome noteth, and suteth notably with this argu∣ment, Nemo quum fallunt, attendit: sed solum si quid verum praedixerint, aspicit. And againe he saith, Qui•• homo se dedit Diabolipotestati, Deus id permittit accide∣re. Men take no heede vnto their falshoods, but do onely looke to that which falleth out to bee true; but (saith he) touching the misfortunes which do fall vpon them, God doth iustly permit them to happen, as the scourge and punishment for their sinne.

CHAP. VI. That Sorcerers are as detestable, and as much forbidden by the law of God, as the very Oracles of the Heathen and their Idols were: that it is an idle speech which is giuen out of Sorcerers, that Princes should take heed of them: the diuersities of customes, whi••h the Sorcerers vsed in the olde time: all proued by the Scripture.

ALthough Pliny was of opinion, that Ma∣gicke was really nothing,* 1.215 but meerely a bare name without a thing, and was no more in nature then is a Chim••ra: which hee goeth about to prooue by the expe∣rience of Nero, who was so hot in the pursuite of these curious Arts, that hee did initiate and dedicate hims••lfe vnto this trade, and yet for all this he could neuer giue satisfaction vnto himselfe in this kinde, although hee wanted neither wit nor will, much lesse authority, ri∣ches, and the most knowing men in these Artes, that he could get from all the quarters of the East. Yet ought we not to entertaine this opinion that Pliny hath, no more then his blasphemous conceite of the Deity, (for

he affirmeth that there is no other God but the Sunne) or his gibing at the resurrection of the flesh, which hee thinketh a meere ridiculous fancy: for in these two points he playeth the par•• of an Atheist, as indeede hee was; but the rule in Logicke doth easily ouerthrow his collection, when from a particular instance he would in∣ferre an vniuersall proposition: for as wee say, Ex par∣ticularibus nihil concludi potest, & a particulari ad vni∣uersale conclusio nulla. We could also allow vnto him the history of Iulian the Apostatate, who had as much authority, riches, wit, and as many masters as Nero e∣uer had, and a great deale of more will, but by the per∣mission of God, he grew more weary of the incertainty and barrennnesse thereof, then hee was before heated with the desire of knowing it. And this did rather happē vnto them both (that we may answere the obiection of Pliny) because their maine drift and designe was, to ab∣olish and annihilate the memory of Christ Iesus, and to prooue him a lyar, in that he had said, Ecce ego vobis∣cum sum vsque ad consummationem seculi. But there∣upon to deny the effects of the Deuill practised by his instruments the witches, it would sauour of too much rashnesse, especially since many authors so ancient and so renowned, are full of them. Let it suffice to haue al∣leaged for confirmation heereof certaine passages out of Lactantius and Saint Augustine, who giuing a rea∣son of such admirable effects, do attribute them to wic∣ked Spirits.* 1.216 We will onely adde that which Philostra∣tus hath written of a sorceresse, who by her art did pro∣uide a sumptuous banquet for her louer Menippus: who being sate at table with many others, and hauing a good appetit to taste of those delicacies, vpon the sud∣daine all was taken away, and they were forced to rise more hungry then they were before. But wee will draw our proofes from the Scripture, least some should with Pliny conceite this relation to bee fabulous. First Saint Paule maketh mention of the Iamn••s,* 1.217 and Iam∣bres,

whose history is recited in the booke of Exodus, that they resisted Moyses, and did worke by Magicke, whatsoever Moyses could do by Diuine power: they changed their roddes into serpents, and water into blood:* 1.218 they also made frogges to come and couer the land of Aegypt: yet at the third plague (not at the third signe, as it is vulgarly receiued) they could not do as Moyses did before them: not because (as the Hebrewes would alleage) the Deuill cannot counterfeit any thing that is lesse then a barly corne, in regard that those things that are least require (say they) greatest subtilty to shape them, and therefore although the Magicians did make great snakes and frogges,* 1.219 yet they could not bring lice vpon the land of Aegypt as Moyses did; for this opinion is not iustifiable, because afterwards they could not make great flyes, nor raise those hugh bot∣ches and tumours which were in the bodies of men, neither could they make haile, or lightning to descend from heauen, or cause the windes to blow and combate against themselues, which neuerth••lesse he did in Iobs time: but the reason was, because at the third time, God tyed vp the power of Satan, and restrained him from passing further, as hee also inhibited him in the like case to put Iob to death, as he did his children. And this the Magicians were forced to confesse, saying, Digitus Dei est hic. From hence it is apparant, that there are those who contract secret familiarity with the Deuill, and by this meanes worke strange things, although for the most part they are ordained vnto wicked purposes. The Prophet Dauid doth take his similitude from the char∣mer who by his arte doth charme serpents;* 1.220 so that this is a truth not to bee gaine-said, especially since God himselfe doth no lesse detest and prohibite such kinde of men in his law, then he doth Idols and Oracles of the Deuill. For when Sathan sawe that the people of God did abhorre his Oracles that were senslesse, and framed by the hands of men, hee insinuated himselfe amongst

them by another way more subtile then the former, by speaking vnto men, and making himselfe to be secretly adored by them. This is it which is so strictly forbid∣den in Leuiticus,* 1.221 Non declinetis ad magos, nec ab Heri∣olis aliquid sciscitemini, ne polluamini per eos. And hee repeateth the same afterwards, Anima quae declinauerit ad magos & Hariolos, & fornicata fuerit cumeis, ponam faciem meam contra eam, & interficiam eam de medio populi sui.* 1.222 Also it is said in Exodus, Maleficos non patie∣ris viuere, where the Hebrew word doth particularly apply it selfe vnto witches.* 1.223 And in Deutronomy God speaketh thus vnto his people. Quando ingressus fueris terram quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi, caue ne imitarivelis abominationes illarum gentium, nec inueni∣atur in te qui lustret filium suum, aut filiam ducens per ignem, a••t qui ariolos sciscitatur & obseruat somnia at∣que auguria, net sit maleficus, nec incantator, neque qui Pythones consulat, nec diuinos, & quaerat à mortuis ve∣ritatem. Omnia haec abominat••r Dominus, & propter istiusmodi scelera delebit eos in introitu suo: perfectus eris & a••sque macula cum Domino Deo tuo, gentes ist ae quarum possidetis terram, augures & diuinos audiunt tu autem a Domino Deo tuo aliter institutus es. To bee breife, the Scripture doth often speake of these people, in so much as there is scarce a booke in the whole Bible, where mention is not made of them. Besides the passa∣ges already cited, those that are desirous may see. Num. 23. Ios. 13. 1. Reg. 15. and 28. 2. Paral. 33. Esay 47. and 44. Mich. 5. Na••um. 3. In the new testament there is Simon Magus, * 1.224 Elimas the south-sayer, Barieu, and a woman who had a familiar Spirit, and did foretell ma∣ny things, by which meanes she brought in much gaine vnto her masters. There is also mention made of the Ephesians,* 1.225 who were exceedingly addicted to all kinds of curious artes, and these were nothing else amongst the Ancients but the artes of Magicke. but when they had their vnderstandings rectified by Saint Paules in∣structions,

they burned all their bookes, that were va∣lued at 50. thousand peices of siluer. When good King Iosias would reduce the religion of God into that first integrity, wherein it formerly stood, thereby to ap∣pease the wrath of God against the people of the Iewes, hee called a generall Councell in the temple at Hieru∣salem,* 1.226 where amongst other things sit to be redressed, it was decreed, that all sorcerers and witches should be put to death: which the good King accordingly practi∣sed. Pythones (saith the text) & ariolos, & figuras idolo∣rum, & immunditias, & abominationes, quae fuerunt in terra Iudae & Hierusalem, abstulit Iosias, vt statueret verba legis. After his raigne all good Princes did the like, the law of God hauing expressely forbidden the vse of the same. As also in the Codices there are many lawes religiously ordained by Christian Emperours, as Constantius and others, against witch-craft and Mathe∣maticians. And how could they bee wanting in this duty, since the Heathens themselues haue made the practise of them punishable.* 1.227 Cornelius Tacitus doth relate, that there was a law made in Roome, by whi••h all Mathematicians and Magicians were banished from all Italy, as excommunicated persons, and not worthy to liue amongst honest men. Which law was put in ex∣ecution in the time of Christ Iesus, not without a myste∣rious and Diuine meaning: for as our Sauiour by his comming into the world, did driue away and cast out the Deuils, so his pleasure was, that their speciall atten∣dants and worshippers, should by earthly Princes bee bannished out of their Dominions: which action did belong vnto the externall seate of Iustice.* 1.228 Appollonius Thianeus a great Magician was cited to appeare be∣fore the Emperour Domitian, because hee was a sorce∣rer; as was Apuleius also before the gouernour of Affricke in the raigne of Antonius Pius; and was faine to purge himselfe by two Apologies which he made to cleere this accusation, or else he had beene put to death.

So that we must not imitate those of Geneua, (which is the well-spring of all Atheisme and diabolicall adora∣tions) where none is accused or condemned to dye, vn∣lesse hee be conuicted to haue cast abrode some charme hurtfull vnto man or beast, although they know him to b••long vnto the Deuils Synagogue. It is certaine, that the greatest exorbitancy in this sinne is, that they who practise the same, do apostate from the true religon of God, and adore the Deuill: which is cleerely prooued in the Scriptures, for they do not much aggrauate this obliquity with any other great inforcement, then that they commit idolatry, which is a sinne directly against the Maiesty of God, and not against our neighbour. Thus in Exodus 22. a little after these wordes,* 1.229 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue, it is added, whosoeuer shall sacrifice vnto other Gods, but the true God, hee shall be put to death.* 1.230 In the 18. of Leuiticus it is said, you shall not go to Magicians, neither shall you aske questions of sorcerers, least you be defiled by them; and the conclusion thereupon inferred is: I am thy Lord thy God. Whereupon it doth follow, that therefore this sinne is so enormous, because it is dire••••ly against the Maiesty of God: the same may be noted in the follow∣ing Chapter also,* 1.231 which is the 20. The soule (saith God) that shall go vnto Magicians and sorcerers, and shall commit fornication with them, I will set my face a∣gainst them, and will cut them off from among my peo∣ple. It followeth, sanctifie your selues therefore and bee holy, for I am the Lord your God. In the 18. Chapter of Deutronomy it is also said: Let there not be found among you that vseth witch-craft, or that asketh coun∣sell of charmers and south-sayers, for this was the sinne of the Gentiles, whom for these abominations I cast out from their land, and placed you in their steed. As for thee thou hast bin otherwise taught by the Lord thy God. And then he addeth, God will raise vp a Prophet vnto you, who shall speake familiarly with you, not as

I spake in the mountaine in fire: but hee shall bee like vnto one of you, and vnto him shall you hearken. And whosoeuer will not harken vnto him, I will take ven∣geance vpon him. It is well worth the obseruation, that both by the letter of the text, a•• also by the exposition which Saint Stephen in the Acts of the Apostles maketh of the same, by this Prophet is meant Christ Iesus.* 1.232 All which doth sufficiently declare that this impiety is a∣gainst the Maiesty of God and particularly against the person of Christ Iesus our Sauiour and Redeemer. For when from worshipping of an inuisible substance, these kinde of people do adore the Deuil, when he presenteth himselfe before them in a visible forme, it is manifest that in this he would rob the Sonne of God of his glory, who made himselfe visible, that he might be visibly adored. When Samuel would aggrauate the sinne of rebellion and contempt, which Saul committed against the Diuine Maiesty, he telleth him, that this sinne is like vnto the sinne of Sorcerers and Magicians, he could not compare this disobedience and rebellion to a grea∣ter sinne, then that of Witches and Magicians. And the euent declared how odious it was: for when Saul had thus set at nought the commandement of God, he was left vnto himselfe, and could neuer after that receiue any answere either by Preists or by dreames,* 1.233 and nocturnal reuelations, or by Prophets. Yet for all this was he still King of Israel, but when he once did seeke vnto a witch, he fell into the gulph of all impiety, and was the next day slaine with his children, so that none of that stocke did euer after raig••e or beare sway in Israel. And which Kings and Princes should regardfully obserue, it is said in the 4. of Kings 23. that good King Iosias hauing laboured all he could to reduce true religion to that first state and integrity wherein it stood,* 1.234 yet was not God fully appeased with this people, but did afterwards de∣liuer them vp into the hands of the barbarous Babylo∣nians, to be oppressed and in slauery vnto them: which

happened by reason of his grand-father Manasses, who did alwayes intertaine Magicians and Witches in the kingdome of Israel, and himselfe also was of that trade. Non est auersus (saith the text) Dominus ab ira furoris sui magni, quo iratus est furor eius contra Iudam propter irritationes, quibus prouocauerat eū Manasses. The abo∣minations of Manasses are described in the 4. booke of Kinges the 21. Chapter,* 1.235 amongst which there is mention made of his south-saying, and diuinations, and how he had for that purpose a great number of Magici∣ans and Sorcerers about him, labouring to augment and adde reputation vnto that trade: by which abomi∣nations, and by other his daily prouocations of God, hee plucked downe the Viols of his wrath vpon him. It is very obseruable, that God for this very fault did sharply chastise the Kings of the earth, who were vtter∣ly vnacquainted with his law:* 1.236 as appeareth in Esay, where God threatneth to destroy the great Citty of Ba∣bylon, and the whole Empire thereof, because (saith he) of the great multitude of Witches, that raigne within thee, and of that flintinesse of heart which hardneth thy Inchanters and Sorcerers.* 1.237 And in Ezechiel the King of Babylon is represented vnto vs standing in the middle betwixt two wayes, and by the Arte of Magicke dispo∣sing and placing of arrowes, to know what would befall vnto him: but God threatneth to punish him greeuously for the same. And heere may we fitly speake vnto Chri∣stian Princes, and say with the Kingly Prophet Dauid, Nunc reges intelligite,* 1.238 erudimini qui iudicatis terram, ne quando irascatur Dominus & pereatis de via insta. For there is no sinne in the world, that doth more trans∣plant the Crownes and Kingdomes of the Princes of the Earth, especially of christian Princes, then to tolle∣rate by any indulgence or conniuencie whatsoeuer, an impiety so derogatory from God, and Christ his Sonne, and to let it spread in the middest of the Church. Hence Dauid concludeth according to the Hebrew phrase,

K••sse the Sonne least hee bee angry, and ye perish in the way,* 1.239 ••hen his wrath shall suddenly burne. To kisse and to wor∣ship the Sonne, is to adore Christ Iesus with all purity and sincerenesse of heart, who will haue no fellowship or alliance with Beliall as S. Paul teacheth. We are not to imitate those of Geneua before mentioned, but wee are to execute the rigour and extremity of iustice vpon those that are guilty of this crime, because it is agai••st the diuine Maiesty, and directly contrary to the first commandement of the law, although it be true withall, that this art cannot bee practised without the endam∣••agement of our neighbours, as shall heereafter ap∣peare by their depositions. But the honour of God must take vp the first consideration, and wee are not to inuert and misplace things, or as the common saying is, put the cart before the horse. Yet it is not to be maruel∣led that the practise of Geneua runneth thus; for be∣sides their rage in depressing as much as in them lies the honour of God and his Saints (which was foretold in the Reuelation, that they should blaspheme God,* 1.240 his tabernacle, the humanity of Christ Iesus, and them that dwelt in heauen, they haue the property that all Here∣ticks naturally haue, to loue Magicians and Sorcerers; as appeareth by the fi••st H••retick Simon Magus, men∣tioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and by the rest that followed after him, as Irenaeus and others do declare it.* 1.241

The Turkes (as I conceiue) doe not much esteeme these Arts, but the Sarazens did permit that men should teach this impietie publikely, about a thousand yeeres after Christ.* 1.242 And if Antichrist bee to proceed from the ••urkes, whereof there is great likelihood, then is their Monarchie pointed out vnto vs by Babylon and the sa∣uage beast, that was to receiue great power & strength from the great Dragon, by vertue whereof hee might worke wonders, euen to make fire to descend from hea∣uen: all which he should doe through the power of the Diuell, shadowed out vnder the nature of the Dragon.

Touching the meanes, which such kinde of people vse in their witchcrafts, there can bee no certaine number set of them, for they are infinite, and the Diuell is so craftie and malicious withall, that (as it is said of a naughty fellow) Habet mille technas, mille nocendi ar∣tes. He inuenteth euery day new deuises, the more to please him, whom hee most desireth to hold fast in his gripe: and seeing that some are delighted with one thing, and some with another, he fitteth all according to their seuerall humours. And put case that these seue∣rall manners of Charmes be not hurtfull vnto the body, yet doe they defile and staine the soule of the Sorcerer, because they are euer tyed vnto superstition, which is a kinde of Idolatrie. Neuerthelesse, the Diuell striueth as much as hee can, to practise those charmes which are hurtfull vnto men, as bloodshed and murther: but when he meeteth with any (as sometimes he doth) whose con∣sciences are scrupulous to commit murther, or other∣wise to hurt mens persons, hee then is contented to ap∣plie himselfe vnto them, that at the least hee may gaine vnto him their beguiled soules. And it is probable (since there are so many diuersities of them mentioned in the Hebrew Bible) that as the Diuels in the Scriptures take their denominations from the effects that are obserued in them, so haue the Sorcerers their diuersities of names from the diuersities of effects and charmes, which they ordinarily practise. Thus the Magicians of Pharaoh, to make their charmes more powerfull, besides the roddes which they had in their hands, to shew themselues e∣quall vnto Moyses, they also vsed (whether secretly or openly it is not expressed) certaine plates of red-hot iron, newly forged; and their charmes in the 7. chapter of Exodus are called by the word Lahatim,* 1.243 which sig∣nifieth, burning plates: and so is the flaming sword cal∣led which the Cherubin brandished in his hand in the fourth chapter of Genesis;* 1.244 which is the particu∣lar obseruation of Rabby Dauid Quimhi. And from

hence we may gather an excellēt morall, since as S. Paul teacheth vs, the Magicians in this historie did represent Heretikes,* 1.245 as Moyses did shadow forth the Catholike Doctors. Moyses did remaine contented with the rod which he held in his hand, & the catholike Doctor doth shake the rod of Gods word ouer those that doe trans∣gresse against the same. The Heretike likewise holdeth the rod of Gods word in his hand, but hee cannot pre∣uaile with it, except hee also vnsheath that flaming sword, which betokeneth warre, and the effusion of blood. And it may well be, that they mingled the blood of men, in the tempering and making of such swords: which is in these daies practised, and hath been vsuall in former times amōgst the Theraphins.* 1.246 But let vs descend to other passages. In the 19. and 20. chapters of Leuiti∣cus these Magicians are called by this word Aob, which signifieth a pitcher, or a barrell. And it might be, there were a kinde of Sorcerers which did vse such vessels, as many doe in these daies, who cast certaine names into a vessell or bason full of water, to diuine and presage of something. In the 18. of Deuteronomy they are called Menahhesh, which importeth as much as,* 1.247 to vse Ser∣pents, and it is probable enough, that they vsed Serpents in their charmes, as wee haue heretofore noted of the Romanes, who did the like ro rid Rome of the plague. Aben Ezra doth thinke, that it was nothing but cer∣taine figures and characters of Serpents, which such people did vse in their charmes and inchantments. King Manasses,* 1.248 who was the greatest Sorcerer of the world, was accused to bee Mecasheph, which word is deriued from a verbe that signifieth to paint,* 1.249 or by imbellishing the face with colours to attract and deceiue men, which is the propertie of wanton women, as Rabby Dauid Quimhi saith in his Comment vpon Nahum: and there∣upon Aben Ezra, who together with Quimhi is quo∣ted by Sanctes Pagninus, and by Munsterus,* 1.250 doth de∣clare, that these are Sorcerers, who make a shew that

they transshape things, and by this meanes doe grossely abuse those men, whom they doe blinde with their ap∣paritions, and so make them beleeue they see that, which indeed they doe not see: like vnto those loose and light women, who set a glosse of whitenes vpon their face, which is not indeed in their persons. There is another word in the 3. of Michah,* 1.251 that also expresseth these Ma∣gicians, and that is Quassam, which Dauid Quimhi (as is to be supposed, by the passages already alleaged) doth interprete to signifie all manner of Charmes and In∣chantments. Although then there bee diuers sorts of Charmes inuented by the Diuell, as it may bee concei∣ued that the superstitious vse of these things tooke strength with time, and grew more familiar, when once the spirit of man was tickled with the delight of them, yet are wee not to thinke, that these Diabolicall Charmes are endued with any naturall efficacie, or that wicked spirits are more delighted with one thing then another, or allured by some speciall charme, to doe whatsoeuer the Sorcerer would haue them: but it is to be attributed, by the third and generall reason, to the malice of the Diuell, who in all things is Gods ape, as Tertullian hath it.* 1.252 For hee cunningly obserueth, that God maketh choyce from his pure and absolute will of certaine materiall substances, thereby to confirme and make effectuall his promises vnto men: as are the bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and water in Baptisme; yet haue these outward elements no na∣tiue force in themselues, to declare that vnto vs, which God by his power worketh in vs: and hereupon the Diuell maketh a voluntary election of such things as he thinketh fittest, whereby as by signes he maketh good those promises which he offereth vnto men, and taketh occasion to shew the greatnesse of his forces. And this is the resolution that is giuen by S. Augustine, Daemones (inquit) alliciuntur herbis, non tanquam animalia cibis, sed tanquam spiritus signis. An asse indeed is moued at

the sight of Oates, and the sheepe is greedy to browse vpon a tender twig which is set before him; but it is not so with Spirits, for they haue no need of any cor∣porall substance for their necessity, but vse outward things, as signes and pledges, whereby they expresse their pleasure vnto men, who otherwise could haue no aduertisement of the same. For it is the property both of reasonable and intellectuall creatures, to declare their will by externall signes; and therefore we are not to conceiue that it was the sound of Dauids Harpe that droue away the wicked spirit from Saul, or the gall of the fish that made Asmodeus to runne away; for hee standeth not in feare of any corporall thing, in respect that it is corporall, yea it cannot imprint any action in∣to him, nor so much as touch him: yet when such mate∣riall substances are the instruments by which God wor∣keth, and when vertuous people are confirmed by faith, of Gods power herein, then is it effectuall against the Diuell: and then must wee doe as wee are comman∣ded by S. Peter, cuiresistite fortes in fide. It is certaine that the Diuell doth somtimes obserue the course of the Moone in his workings, which is a corporall sub∣stance: and this is plaine in the fourth, and seuenteenth Chapter of S. Matthew,* 1.253 where mention is made of one that was lunatickly possessed; but herein (saith S. Ie∣rome) he did secretly labour to desame Gods creature, and to make men beleeue, either that it was the Diuels creature, as the Manicheans conceited, of many crea∣tures that were very vsefull vnto man, or else that it was to bee adored as a God, because of the great power it had ouer the bodies of men: whereunto we may ad∣ioyne the saying of S. Augustine,* 1.254 that the diuell, as one that is exceedingly cunning and wise (from whence al∣so hee hath his name) when hee would apply naturall causes one vnto the other, for his more easie and ready way, doth obserue the course of the Moone, which doth naturally giue assistance and inclination to such effects,

as haue their origine from lunacy. This experience teacheth to bee true in lunatick persons; and therefore the best practised Physitians doe obserue the same course, in the cures which they vndertake of this kind. As for bodily substances, he hath no vse of them, but as they serue for signes to binde Sorcerers vnto his Ser∣uice: as the outward elements in the Sacraments doe serue for tokens of Gods good pleasure in the vse and institution of them: so that such signes are meerly vo¦luntary, although they bee the true images and repre∣sentations of those, against whom they would practise their Witchcrafts;* 1.255 as we reade in Zonaras that certaine lewd persons had made the very image of Simon Prince of Bulgaria; and as soone as they had cut off the head of the said Image, the Prince was instātly found dead. Vp∣on the like occasion did King, Lewes cause a certain wo∣man called Claudia, to be burned aliue, because shee had made his resemblance in wax, and would haue set it neerer and neerer vnto the fire,* 1.256 that so as this Image in wax did melt away, so should he by little and little lan∣guish and pine away, and at last die. And because this History doth occasion vs to speake of women; let vs see whether they are giuen to these arts as men are.

CHAP. 7. Of Witches; and that women are more addicted to Witch∣craft then men are.

IF the Diuell haue power in a thing so exe∣crable, to gaine men vnto his seruice; it is no wonder if he haue also ensnared and en∣ticed women into his nets, especially be∣cause hee doth first labour to win them, whom hee knoweth to be open vnto perswasions, and more easie to be deceiued, in regard of the naturall impotency and simplicity of their sex.* 1.257 And this doth S. Paul signifie,

when he saith, Take heed you be not deceiued through the simplicity that proceedeth from Christ Iesus. Thus did the Diuell tempt Eue, albeit shee was then in her originall integrity; and hee did the rather buckle vp himselfe to giue this onset, because hee knew well how fit air organ she was to draw the man to yeeld his con∣sent vnto her liking. And this hee practised from the beginning, and hath since still obserued that this sex hath this property, to bee exceedingly addicted vnto somthing, be it good, or bee it bad: so that if a woman addict her selfe to well doing, shee is more seruent in it then a man; and so contrariwise, if shee abandon her selfe to euill, she is more obstinate to persist in the same then a man is: which is well obserued by S. Chrysostom,* 1.258 in these words: Contentiosum est (inquit) hoc animal & importunum ac victoriae amans, siue ad malum declinet, siue ad bon••m. So that wee may speake of them as wee speake of Angels in generall, and say with the Diuines, Cui adhaerent, immobiliter adhaerent. And hereof all Hi∣stories are full: it shall bee sufficient amongst profane authors to alleage one example set downe in the Ro∣mane histories. Macrina a noble Lady of Rome did resolue not to speake or looke vpon any man liuing, vn∣till her husband Torquatus, who was sent abroad by the Romans to subdue diuers Cities and Prouinces, should returne home vnto her. It so fell out that eleuen yeeres after, there was a wild or sauage man brought to Rome, who had but one eye in the middle of his brow, and was found in the deserts of Aegypt: which, when shee vnderstood by her chambermaid, she was exceedingly moued with a violent desire to see this nouelty; neuer∣thelesse shee did command her longings so well, that she did not interrupt her first resolution. And when vp∣on a day this sauage man passed by her house, and her selfe was in the chamber, that looked out into the street by which he was to passe, although she heard the noyse and cries in the streets, as the fashion of the com∣mon

sort of people is when they see any strange specta∣cle, yet did shee so strongly represse her passions, that shee would not so much as come vnto the window to see him, whereof she not long afterward died. It shall also be sufficient to select from ecclesiasticall histories that example which Theodoret relateth of the Matrons of Rome,* 1.259 who when they saw that their husbands the Senators and others, dared not to intercede to the Em∣perour in fauour of Liberius the Pope of Rome, whom he had causelesly banished, for that hee would not con∣sent to the bringing in of Heresie, they resolued among themselues to goe vnto the Court, where with their cries and importunity, they neuer left vntill the Empe∣rour had called back their chiefe Pastor from banish∣ment. The Scripture also is plentifull in these examples. Iudith and Hester will sufficiently exemplifie the good∣nesse of women that loue God; and Iosephs mistrisse with Iesabell will fully declare the violence of those that abandon themselues to euill. And as we see by ex∣perience euen in these daies, that sober and vertuous women, although in their nature they are most pro∣pense vnto compassion, yet they are they that cast the first stones against Sorcerers, and cry louder then the rest to haue them burnt: so contrariwise, Sorceresses are more obstinate, and more addicted vnto witch∣crafts, and doe with lesse remorse of conscience plunge themselues into the most execrable facts that may bee, then men: so that it is certaine that women are imployed to strangle children, and to carry and present them to the Diuell, and to make a kind of oyntment of their grease; but Sorcerers and men Witches doe sel∣dome or neuer dip their fingers in these bloody actions. Hence is the reason grounded, why the first prohibiti∣on to practise witchcraft, whereof mention is made in the Law of God was addressed to women and not to men,* 1.260 as Sanctes Pagninus hath well obserued, saying; that whereas in the two and twentieth chapter of Exo∣dus,

wee haue it in the plurall number, Maleficos non patieris viuere, it is in the fountaine of the Hebrew ex∣pressed by the word Mechashepha,* 1.261 which signifieth a woman witch, and then the sense is thus: Thou shalt not suffer a Sorceresse to liue, because (saith hee) it is a trade more ordinary and vsuall vnto women then vnto men. And this appeareth by the history of Saul, who when he had formerly put to death all manner of Magi∣cians and Witches; yet at the last, seeing himselfe for∣saken of God for his iniquities, hee resolued to resort vnto the Diuell, and to that purpose hee demanded his seruants whether there were any woman witch left or no: Looke me out (saith he) one that hath a Spirit that I may goe vnto her, and may by her procurement bee aduertized of what I desire to know. Where we are to obserue that Saul did not aske whether there were a man that was a witch, but whether there were any wo∣man witch: as if he should haue said, that notwithstan∣ding all that he had done against them, it could not be but that there remained yet aliue some woman or other of this occupation: and in truth it is almost impossible to discouer them so easily as men. The conclusion was, Saul was not deceiued in his expectation, for his Cour∣tiers, who doe oftentimes make their repaire vnto such people (as the custome of them is) did redily name one vnto him, vnto whom when Saul came, shee began to make her protestations that she was an honest woman, and would for no good attempt such a thing, which was prohibited both by God and the King: but being a little foothed vp with faire promises, shee quickly made the Diuell to attend this seruice: and therefore the Hebrewes are not contented to tearme them by ap∣pellations common vnto them all, both men and wo∣men, which we haue particularly collected in the for∣mer Chapter, but would marke them out by a peculi∣ar attribute, which properly is to be vnderstood of wo∣men, as may be seene in Helias the Leuite in his Thisby,* 1.262

who reporteth according to the traditions of the Iewes, that there are women whom they call the Diuels mo∣thers, and tearme them by this word Lilith, which is de∣riued from another Hebrew word signifiing the night, because they vse to goe secretly and in the night. And this haue the Latines imitated or borrowed from the Hebrewes, calling them Striges or Lamiae, which signi∣eth monsters and stranges birds that vse to goe in the finight. And the said Helias further saith, that a great Lord hauing asked the question of the ancient fathers of the Synagogue, how it chanced that young children that are but eight daies old were so often times found suddently dead, they answered him, that they were Li∣lith who put them to death: which is the appellation of Sorceresses, for the Hebrew word is of the feminine gender, as appeareth more plainely by the participle and feminine adiectiue which is ioyned with the word Li∣lith, and also because hee saith that they were Nashim, that is to say, women. And the Iewish women are so fully perswaded of the truth thereof (for they are the most superstitious women of the world) that they vse to make foure circles with chalke, or with a cole on the outward parts of the chamber walles where they vse to lie, and vpon euery side or quarter of the chamber they make a circle, writing in one of them the name of A∣dam, in the other the name of Eue, in the third the word Huts, which signifieth (without) and in the fourth the word Lilith: as if they should haue said (as I conceiue it) Adam and Eue are the first Parents and Progenitors of mankind, and therefore get you hence all witchcrafts whatsoeuer. Within the chamber they write the names of the Angels, whom they thinke to bee protectors of their children: to wit, Senoy, Sansenoy, and Samangue∣loph, saying that Lilith did teach the Iewish women to doe this before shee died: where it is to bee supposed, that this was the name of some great Sorceresse, heere∣tofore much renouned amongst them, whom therefore

they called Lilith, because shee commonly went in the night: and it is probable shee taught her daughters or some others all the superstitions and art she had, before her death; and afterward in processe of time such kind of women were called Lilith. Howsoeuer it be, this dis∣course of Helias the Leuite doth sufficiently declare the antiquitie of Sorcerers, that goe by night and strangle young children, and hee doth there assure vs, that these things are no fables. Which relation would receiue strength and accession of authority, if wee will allow that Iesus the sonne of Sirac did make that discourse, which doth at large mention all these things, and is at∣tributed vnto him in the Hebrew booke. We also finde the word Lilith in the Scripture, and particularly in the foure and thirtieth of Esay,* 1.263 which Saint Ierome tran∣slateth and thinketh to be a Sorceresse.* 1.264 Ibi cubauit La∣mia: whereby is meant such women as vse to goe in the night. Againe in the Lamentations of Ieremy he inter∣preteth this word Lilith to be a Sorceresse, saying,* 1.265 Sed & Lamiae. Lamia (saith Duris) was a woman, who was iealous that her husband had begotten a child vpon another woman, and thereupon in a great surie she gaue secret order to haue the child strangled, and did the like by all those whom shee could get into her hands: and from her are such kinde of women by the Latines called Lamiae, whose custome was (as Ieremy hath it) to shew and offer their breasts vnto little children, thereby to still them, and to allure them to come vnto them, that so they might strangle them with greater secresie. Therefore when God threatneth Babylon or Ierusa∣lem,* 1.266 that witches should frequent thither, and shew their teates; it is but to shew that such places should be left desolate, and vtterly ouerthrowne, because desolate places are altogether frequented by witches, who come there to make their assemblies, and are carried for the most part thither by the Diuell, that in such remote cor∣ners they might the more freely exercise the mysteries

of their abominations: like as theeues and murtherers haunt such kinde of sollitude. Pliny lib. 25. hist. cap. 11. saith that women doe farre exceed men in this trade, and Quintilian in declamat. saith, Latr••cinium in v••∣ro facilius, veneficium in foemina. The other kinde of Witches is not so execrable, because there is no ex∣presse bargaine with Satan, but onely a tacite agree∣ment. And against them S. Chrysostome homil. 13. in 1. ad Timotheum teacheth vs to proceed in another fa∣shion.* 1.267 Si quis (inquit) ligatur as inanes, aut aliud quip∣piam eiusmodisciens & prudens sequitur, praecepto atque imperio tantum arcendus est, sin vero ignarus in ea inci∣derit, docendus est. That is to say, We are to informe the ignorant, and to shew vnto them how foule the offence is, where men leaue God to adhere vnto superstitions.

CHAP. VIII. An answere vnto those that demand what danger there is in crauing the assistance and aide of the Diuel.

IT is a general obseruation which is made of those that forget God, to fall (if they doe not returne vnto him speedily) into blindnesse of vnderstanding, and into an obduratnesse of heart, like vnto that of Diuels and the soules of the damned. For as there is a sympathy and participation of good men with those that are in Paradise; so that it may bee said, that liuing in this world, they haue their conuersation in heauen, so are there others, who differ very litle from the damned,* 1.268 insomuch (saith Theodoret) as a man may truely say, that there are Diuels in hel better then they, because they exceed the Diuels themselues in mischiefe and malice. The Diuels doe at the least beleeue and tremble, Damones credunt & contremiscunt: but these doe neither beleeue nor feare the iudgements to come. Whereupon the wiseman saith, that when a wicked

man is come vnto the depth and bottome of sinne, hee scoffeth and maketh a ieast of all admonitions. And to digresse no further, the truth hereof is seene by the ex∣perience of those, who haue giuen their poore captiue soules vnto the Diuell, and did thinke that these things were meerely fabulous, which did any way remember them of eternall damnation. And what danger is there (say they) to command the Diuell? did not Christ Iesus himselfe the same? doth not God sometimes vse them? and did not the Apostles also serue their turnes with them, by commanding them, as they thought good? Vnto these wee may propose the question, which Saint Athanasius once did to Arrius,* 1.269 Si quis Sathanam ado∣ret, rectene an malé fecerit? Vnto which Arrius re∣plyed, although his vnderstanding was darke and blind, Impius & sine Deo est neque communem sensum habet, nec meretur hominis appellationem. So that by the very confession of a limme of the Diuell, wee haue foure markes of him that adoreth the Diuell. First he is full of all impiety and wickednesse: secondly, hee is a true A∣theist: thirdly, he is deuoyd of common sense: and last∣ly, he is not worthy the appellation of a man. In this Arrius spake wonderously well, being forced vnto this confession by the truth, which ouercommeth all things. For if our first parents fell into such labirynths, and are euer since stiled hereticks, blinde, senselesse, brute beastes, although their simplicity and ignorance was much abused, because they neuer heard talke of the cunning and malice of Satan, how much more ought they to be called by such infamous appellations, who at first dash giue themselues ouer vnto Satan and all his workes,* 1.270 although they are admonished by many passages of the holy Scripture, yea and warned by the mouth of Christ Iesus, his Apostles, and all the Church to auoyd and resist Satan, and to make continuall in∣tercession to God, that they yeeld not vnto his temp∣tations, because hee is euer wakefull, and is fierce

like a roaring and famished Lyon in the wildernesse. But wee liue in so wretched an age that although it were formerly said, happy is he that hath not drunke of the doctrine of Arrius, yet wee are forced to wish the blinded men of our times a conscience of that vpright∣nesse and sensiblenesse, as the conscience of that accur∣sed Arrius was. For let vs see how deceitfull and how full of lyes their sophistry is. How vntrue is it that a man is to imitate God, and his Sonne Christ Iesus in all things? It is a good note which a certaine ancient father hath: In diuinis rebus quaedam sunt credenda, quaedam admiranda, quaedam verò imitanda: as for example. When we find that Christ Iesus did of bread make his body by his owne might and authority, it is a worke to be apprehended by beleefe, not to be expressed by imi∣tation: when he raised men from the dead, this myracle is proposed vnto vs, onely that wee might admire his diuine power, so that if any one should labour to ex∣presse so much, hee is to bee accounted an vsurper vpon the glory of God, which is the very scope whereunto the Diuell doth by his collusions leade poore blind∣folded soules. By this meanes he wrought our first pa∣rents destruction, perswading them as himselfe had al∣ready practised, to make themselues as God, well knowing that this was the true cause of his expulsion out of Paradise, to make themselues as God, well knowing that this was the true cause of his expulsion out of Paradise, for hee had said in his heart similis ero altissimo, and laide also this baite for the man and the woman eritis sicut dij. Thus doth he circumuent those, who would assume vnto themselues that authority,* 1.271 which is peculiar vnto God, not remembring that God is the author and creator of all things visible and invi∣sible, as S. Paul well sheweth, ex ipso, & per ipsum, & in ipso sunt omnia, siue quae in coelis sunt, siue quae in terris sunt, visibilia & inuisibilia, & in ipso flectitur omne ge∣nu coelestium, terrestrium & infernorum. So that be∣ing the Creator of all things, he may vse and dispose of them as seemeth good vnto him: and this he may doe

by the right of creation which hee hath ouer all crea∣tures: by which right he is adored with a supreame and soueraigne worship which is called, Latria, proper and peculiar to him alone, Adorate Deum (saith S. Iohn) qui fecit coelum & terram, mare & omnia, quae in ijs sunt: yet would our Luciferians (for so may those that imitate Lucifer bee called) bee parellell vnto God and share with him in this worship, as if they had beene his companions in the creation of visible and inu••sible sub∣stances, yea they would vse and dispose them to their behoofe and pleasure, without regard or consideration that God hath appropriated diuers things vnto him∣selfe, which hee would not haue communicable vnto men; as is his glory, whereof he saith, Gloriam meam al∣teri non dabo. Of the same nature and condition is the knowledge of mens inward cogitations, the auenge∣ment vpon our enemies, the soueraigne power which he hath ouer all his creatures, in which number are wicked spirits, which are sustained, and haue their con∣sistence by his prouidence no lesse then the wicked men of this world haue, who doe heere mutiny and arme themselues against him. Another fault that is com∣mitted in their sophistry, is their not apprehending that the rule or ballance of all our actions ought to bee di∣rected by the word of God, from which we are not to decline neither to the right hand nor to the left, but the word of God doth strictly prohibite such trafficke and familiarity with Satan: yea, it commandeth that who∣soeuer hee bee, that hath recourse vnto Magicians or witches, vpon what occasion soeuer, although he speak not directly vnto the Diuell, yet is that person to bee stoned to death without mercy. By which we are taught that this is direct Idolatry, since in our extremities wee leaue God to haue redresse and succour from his aduer∣sary, and to rely and haue confidence in him, acknow∣ledging that whatsoeuer good betideth vnto vs pro∣ceedeth from the Diuell, which is nothing else then

worshipping him, and making him practise that which in times past hee said, Haec omnia tibi dabo, si cadens a∣doraueris me. And this did open the gapp vnto the ru∣ine of Ochosias, Saul, and many others who might as well haue pleaded for themselues, as the Athiest and Magicians of our times in this manner. What danger is there, if wee serue our turne with them at our need, since God himselfe doth vse them when hee pleaseth. The third fault is, that they are so farre from doing as Christ Iesus ••id, that they doe cleane contrary vnto that which he practised. For Christ Iesus was so farre from euocating and calling Diuels vnto him, that hee forti∣fied and armed himselfe against their temptations by prayers and admirable fasting: and when Satan ap∣peared vnto him vnsent for, he thrust him back behind him with hard language, saying, Vade retro Sathana, scriptum est, Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, & illi soli seruies. And heereupon the Diuell departed from him, for he cannot indure to stay where he findeth resistance; and therefore Saint Iames glancing at this example of Christ Iesus, doth thus lesson vs, Resistite Diabolo & fu∣giet à vobis: agreeable vnto that of S. Peter, Cuiresistite fortes in fide. Heere we may see what wee are comman∣ded to doe after the example of Christ Iesus: wee are bid to pray, and to fast that hee may not come vnto vs, and in case that hee should present himselfe before vs, we are to resist him by faith, and to push him from vs with all eagernesse, as S. Martin hath done before vs, who as Seuerus Sulpitius reciteth of him, when he saw the Diuell close by him he spake, Quid hic astas cruenta bestia? And this charge was laid vpon man from the beginning of the world, to breed the greater detesta∣tion of the Diuell in him. God did make a couenant of enmity betweene men and the Diuell, saying, Inimici∣tias ponam inter te & mulierem, inter semen tuum & se∣men illius: I will put mortall hatred (said God) between the Serpent and the seed of the woman: for this great

guider and ouerseer of nature did well foreknow, that what faire pretext soeuer the Diuell might pretend, hee hunted after nothing more then after mans destruction, as wee haue already compared him vnto the Crocodiles of Egypt, who doe counterfaite the voice of a man that they may deuoure him. So that a man had neede to learne wisedome of the doggs of Egypt, who knowing their guile and bloody rauenousnesse, doe not tarry long to drink of this riuer,* 1.272 but if they are pressed there∣unto by thirst, they giue a lapp and away, keeping on their course without long tarrying. Thus ought a man to auoide all the temptations of Satan, and if at some times he haue wicked thoughts suggested vnto him, he must by no meanes giue way vnto them, but continue on his course, and disburthen his minde of such cogi∣tations, otherwise if hee should giue the least passage vnto them, he will be in danger to be deuoured: for the Diuell neuer goeth any where but with a purpose to swallow vp all that lye faire for his mouth. And there∣fore our Lord who knew well his bloudy malice would by no meanes permit, that he should confesse him to be the Sonne of God:* 1.273 for he made not this confession (as S. Athanasius well noterh) for any good purpose, but to lay some defamatory suspition vpon Christ Iesus,* 1.274 and to abuse the world by this meanes. The fouth fault is, that men doe not marke what power Christ Iesus gaue vnto his Apostles and their successours ouer Di∣uels: at first, this power was giuen by God to bruse the Serpents head: and to tread him vnder foote, as hee had foretold, that the seed of the woman should crush his venemous head: and the same doth Christ Iesus say vnto his Apostles, Dedi vobis potestatem calcandi supra Serpentes: which is also witnessed by S. Paul, Deus au∣tem conterat Sathanam sub pedibus vestris. In the se∣cond place, this power was giuen vnto the Church thorow the merits of the precious death of Christ Iesus, with a charge to chase and driue him away. Thirdly,

this power was to be exercised in calling vpon the name of Christ Iesus, which two last points are comprehended in these words: In nomine meo Daemonia eijcient. But Sorcerers and Magicians doe not vse to resist the Di∣uell and bruse his head, but they flatter him and call him vnto them by a certaine bargaine or agreement, which directly importeth a subiection and dependan∣cy: and to be briefe, they doe first worship him before hee will come vnto them. Againe, in steed of repelling him, they come vnto him for aduise, aide, or fauour, whereas Christ Iesus would not so much as suffer him to speake:* 1.275 and this is not (as Origen obserueth) to force the Diuell, by inuocation vpon the name of God, it rather argueth a familiarity and intercourse which they haue together. So that if wee doe seriously consider all circumstances, they doe crosse and goe a contrary course vnto Christ Iesus and the Apostles. It cannot bee gaine-said, but that sometimes they will make a sem∣blance as if they wept, although in truth it be nothing so.* 1.276 S. Augustine reciteth the history of a certaine Ma∣gician, who boasted much what a command hee had o∣uer Diuels, saying, that when they were lasie to doe that he commanded them, he threatned to pull the hea∣uens with such violence that they should fall vpon the earth, and thereupon the Diuels would readily execute what he had enioyned them, for feare least they should be brused betweene heauen and earth, as corne is bru∣sed betweene two milstones. But who seeth not that this is the craft and counterfaite weeping of Croco∣diles, that is to say Diabolical fictions framed for deceit and cousonage? For first, it is not the power of Angels to make the heauen descend and touch the earth, be∣cause vnto them (as S. Paul saith) God hath not sub∣iected the round frame of the world: Non enim (saith he) Angelis suis subiecit Deus orbem. Nay it is so farre from being so, that it is not in the naturall power of all wicked spirits that are, to wheele about the orbe of

the Moone, which is the least of all the rest: for as God hath appropriated the natural operations of mans body vnto a reasonable soule, so that it is not in the power of an Angell to make this body to liue the life of plants, the life of beasts, or the life of man, although he can en∣ter at his pleasure into the same, as we see by experience in those that are possessed: euen so God hath limited the passiue power of the motions of the heauens, vnto cer∣taine Angels whom hee hath destinated thereunto, so that it is a ridiculous thing to conceiue, that Spirits may be brused or crushed in peeces. But they doe here∣in take the aduantage of mens simplicity and their owne craft, by infusing these fables into them, wherein they resemble naughty seruants that wait for an occa∣sion to cut their masters throates. The fifth error that blindeth those Sorcerers is, because they haue a con∣ceite that the Diuell is very ready to doe them seruice: but how is it possible that the Diuell should inuassall himselfe vnto man, that is but a worm of the earth? since that thorow the excessiiuenes of his pride which broo∣keth no equals, hee scorneth to bee the seruant of God, whom he knoweth to be his Creator. How can he de∣base himselfe to be mans Lackey, when hee did rather choose to relinquish his portion in Paradise, and to burne euerlastingly in hell fire, then he would acknow∣ledge Christ Iesus for his better. For when it was laid before him that hee should become man, the Diuel said in his heart, no; before I will acknowledge a man and a worme of the earth, I will first be damned: as that de∣uoute and auncient father S. Bernard hath well expres∣sed it. He doth indeed make shew of seruice vnto man, but to this end, that he may be his master: for if hee be delighted corporally to possesse a man, when hee hath gotten the mastery of his body, how much more is hee pleased when by his subtilties, and by taking from him the knowledge of God, hee getteth possession of his soule? For when hee possesseth the body, this affliction is

many times the instrument of saluation, as S. Paul saith, Traedidi huiu smodi Sathanae,* 1.277 vt spiritus eius saluus fiat. But when hee possesseth the soule, and withdraweth it from the grace of God, hee is then the instrument of damnation. And therefore the Scripture doth euer fi∣gure out Satan vnto vs by things that are both dange∣rous and dreadfull vnto men, as by a Serpent, by a Dra∣gon, and by a roaring Lyon, for feare least wee should say as Athiests doe, that the Diuell is not so black as men doe paint him: whereas contrariwise, he is so ter∣rible and so dangerous that all the comparisons of Cen∣taures, doggs with three heads, and the like mon∣sters described vnto vs by Poets, fall farre short of his vglinesse. If then any one should be familiar with such furious beasts, might hee not well bee accounted mad and depriued of common sense? Yet Witches and Ma∣gicians do ordinarily expose themselues to these things And this horridnesse of Diuels was declared vnto Iob, who had partly experimented the rage and bloody ma∣lice of Satan: but hee tryed not all his forces, because God suffered him not to doe, all that he was willing to inflict vpon Iob. God then described Satan vnto him by the similitude of the most great and horrible mon∣ster of the world called Behemoth.* 1.278 This beast saith God, is the most fearfull and cruell monster of the world: his body is armed as it were with iron, his flesh is harder then stone, so that hee cannot be crushed or hurt by the violent strokes of hammers, neither can the sharpest launces enter into him, nor pierce him more then so many strawes: if men should goe about to strike him downe with tumbling vpon him great stones from a rock, it would be but lost labour, and hee would be no more endāgered thereby then if they threw balls of flax against him. God further speaketh vnto Iob of this mon∣ster: dost thou thinke to put a hooke into his nostrills as men take fishes, or when hee is before thee dost thou conceiue that he is affraide of thee? Nunquid multipli∣cabit

tibi preces, aut loquetur tibi mollia. Will he behaue himselfe like a dogg that flattereth his master, and lyeth at his feet for feare of being beaten; or if hee come to some agreement with thee, doest thou imagine that he doth it to any other end then to deuoure thee? Nun∣quid feriet tecum pactum, & accipies eum quasi seruum sempiternum? Wilt thou play with him as a bird, and tye a thread about his legg to keep him in, or to let him fly at thy pleasure? Nunquid illudes ei quasi aui? Last of all God saith, Memento belli, nec vltra addas loqui: remember that hee is a murtherer from the beginning, that hee is thy arch-enemy, and doth continually wage warre against thee. Doe not hurt thy selfe by these foo∣lish speeches, and by saying that thou vsest him as thy seruant, it is impossible: for hee is to be mastered onely by faith, and not by couenant or agreement. He is a liar, and when hee spieth his aduantage will deceiue thee, and when against his promise he shall breake thy neck, before what Iudge wilt thou bring in thy action, to haue reparation of the wrong hee doth thee. Another thing that offereth it selfe vnto consideration is, that being a lyar, and being not ashamed to lie manifestly to Christ Iesus, in promising him that which hee was not able to performe,* 1.279 saying, Haec omnia tibi dabo: Men ought not to deceiue themselues, and say, that he would be ashamed to promise vnto a man that which is not in his power to compasse, as not to be slaine in battell, or to warrant and preserue him from all dangers;* 1.280 whereof wee haue an example in Gregory Nazianzen, who re∣porteth of S. Cyprian that he became a Magician before hee was a Christian, that hee might enioy a young wo∣man whom he loued: and although the Diuell had pro∣mised him to satisfie his desire, yet hee was at last con∣strained by Gods commandemēt to confesse vnto him, that he had promised him a thing which was not in his power to performe,* 1.281 which was the ••ause of his conuersi∣on to the Christian religion. S. Athanasius who was fa∣miliarly

acquainted with Antonius Monachus, a second Iob in the time of the Gospell, doth eloquently describe the sleights and subtleties of Satan. He dissembleth and hideth (saith he) that which he is indeed, appearing in a goodly shape, and gracing himselfe with some name of humour, which he shall perceiue to be most pleasing vnto our honour. Wherein hee resembleth Pirates, who when they espy any pretty children on the shore, they draw neere vnto them, and flatter them, speaking as faire vnto them as their fathers and mothers possibly could; they shew them apples, and cast vnto them other toyes, which they conceiue may please and stay these children: but when they haue enticed them a ship∣bord, they presently hoyse saile, and carry them farre e∣nough from father or mother, selling them and mak∣ing them slaues in a strange countrey as long as they liue. I would haue all those, who haue suffered them∣selues to be thus abused by Satan, to remember well this discourse of so famous a man; and with the prodigall childe to returne vnto the house of their father, and by some trick or other to make an escape from that bloudy and mercliesse tyrant, that setteth before them nothing but huskes to eate: that is, hee promiseth vaine, friuo∣lous, and vnnecessary things, full of deceitfulnesse and cousonage. But in case they will not returne, then must that be put in execution, which is set downe in the law of God, in the 20. chapter of Exodus, that is, to put them to an extraordinary death, which may strike a ter∣rour into others, and serue as an example for all kinde of people. This was religiously practised in Auignon in the yeere of grace 1582. by the diligence of father Florus Prouin, at that time Inquisitour of the faith in those parts, vnto whom I was an associate in the said Inquisi∣tion, where there were 18. men and women executed, who were conuicted and very deseruedly condemned, after they had by their owne depositions and mutuall accusations one of another, giuen sufficient proofe of

their guiltinesse, as shall appeare by the sentence pro∣nounced against them; the extract whereof ensueth next after this following chapter, to the end that euery one may see how farre these kinde of men are separated from the knowledge of God, and how iustly they de∣serue to bee burned. For conclusion and resolution of this discourse, let vs onely marke that which Tertullian teacheth vs, to wit, that neither Christ Iesus, nor his A∣postles, nor any well deseruing sonnes of the Church, did euer call vnto them wicked Spirits, but rather did repell and driue them from them by the efficacy and power of Gods word. It cleerly appeareth in the Gospel that this was the practise of Christ Iesus: Erat Iesus e∣ijciens Daemonium; si in digito Dei eijcio Daemonia: so that whatsoeuer Christ Iesus did in this behalfe, he did it to this end to cast them out, and to make them odious and abominable before men. And as it appeareth in the ttenh of Matthew, the power that he gaue vnto his A∣postles was onely to cast out Diuels: for it is there said, that hauing chosen them for his Apostles, he sent them forth with authority ouer vncleane Spirits, but limited and restrained vnto this, to repell and cast them out. Dedit eis potestatem (saith the text) Spirituum immun∣dorum, vt eijcerunt eos. And againe after his resurre∣ction he sent them abroad vnto all places of the world, and gaue them power ouer Diuels, but with the aboue∣named restriction, to cast them out, saying, In nomine meo Daemonia eijcient. Read the Acts of the Apostles, and you shall finde that they did nothing else but cast out wicked Spirits, neither did any man of worth in the Church of God euer exceed these limits, and those who haue trespassed in passing further, doe shew that they are aliens from the Church of Christ Iesus, and are di∣sciples in the schoole of Satan. And this is it which Tertullian did well note, Nos non inuitatoria operatione, sed e••••ugnatoria dominatione tractamus. And in another place, hee witnesseth, that none but Christians could

cast out Deuils, insinuating thereby, that Painims and Magicians had trafficke and intercourse with wicked Spirits, but that Christians neuer had to do with them, but according to the power which was bequeathed vn∣to them by Christ Iesus, to driue and cast them out. And for further illustration hereof, see the passages that are cited in the beginning of the Preface of this booke.

CHAP. IX. Whether the Articles contained in the depositions of Sor∣cerers ought to be taken as idely and dreamingly spo∣ken, or whether they ought to be receiued for truth.

THis question is as difficult as it is necessa∣ry, it is difficult because I neuer, lighted vpon any author ancient or moderne, that hath debated or determined the same: it is necessary, because in this one point the very knot of the difficulty lyeth, which we are now about to vntye, that is to say, whether that which Sorcerers do depose do happen vnto them by dreames and diabolicall illusions, or whether they really practise the same.* 1.282 Iustin Martyr (as Saint Ierome reporteth) made a Treatise in his time touching the nature and pro∣perty of wicked Spirits: the which but that time hath bin so iniurious vnto vs, as to snatch and as it were ra∣uish it out of our hands, would haue ministred vnto vs (as we may easily coniecture by his other writings that do yet remaine vnto posterity) very ample and cleere resolutions of this doubt, and would teach vs, that what is commonly spoken of Witches, is not fabulously giuen out, but assuredly verified to be true. For in his first Apologie which he made for the Christians, hee is bold confidently and resoluedly to affirme, that wicked Spirits haue had carnall knowledge sometimes with women and sometimes with men. And in his second

Apologie he saith, that Deuils will seildome do what a man would haue them, except it be with certaine con∣ditions, as in Necromancy hee will haue a boy to bee brought vnto him, that is yong and tender of age. And in the 52. question which he proposeth vnto Christians, he wisheth all men to proceede warily and with all ad∣uised circumspection in this argument of wicked Spi∣rits & of Sorcerers. In which he giueth vs to vnderstand that we are not to goe on inconsideratly in searching after two things, which are very strange vnto the sim∣ple people, and which we now will recite out of him: (for we ought to imbrace the aduise of so great a perso∣nage,* 1.283 seeing Saint Paul himselfe doth declare vnto vs, that the workes of Sathan shall bee set out with all signes and wonders, so that they shall exceede all our naturall forces) for resolution hereof wee must heere make a distinction, which many not obseruing haue runne and plunged themselues into many errors. The distinction is this: amongst all the effects that Sathan doth practise in the behalfe of those that owe their ser∣uice vnto him, there are two manners of working: the first doth happen vnto them when they sleepe; the se∣cond is practised also when they wake. Hereunto wee might adioyne many sub-diuisions, but it shall suffice hereafter to alleage such as we shall adiudge necessary for this purpose. Now that this happeneth after these two seuerall wayes, the Scriptures in many passages doth confirme it: for numbring vp the workes which Satan practiseth for them, that haue made an expresse couenant with him, they do seildome faile of the one side to alleage the obseruation of dreames, and of the other side the abhomination of charmes; where we may obserue, that diuination from dreames is euer practised by sleeping, and charmes when men are a∣wake. The first place that confirmeth the truth hereof may be taken from the 19. of Leuiticus, where it is said:* 1.284 Non augurabimini nec obseruabitis somnia. Another

place is in the second booke of the Chronicles the 33. Chapter,* 1.285 where it is said of King Manasses: Obserua∣bat somnia, sectabatur Auguria, maleficis artibus inser∣uiebat, habebat autem secum Magos & incantatores, multa{que} mala operatus est. There is another passage in the 27. Chapter of Ieremy,* 1.286 where God saith vnto his people: Vos ergo nolite audire Prophet as veslros, & diui∣nos, & somniatores, & Augures, & maleficos. The fourth place is in the tenth of Zacharie, where it is said: Diuini viderunt mendacium, & somniatores locuti sunt frustra. And this was the very practise of Balaam whose custome was first heedfully to obserue his dreames,* 1.287 and when he was awake to make his charmes, as you may see in the 22. Chapter of Numbers. I am not ignorant, that some may here cauil & say, that those dreames were of a different quality vnto the dreames of the Sorcerers of our times: notwithstanding it doth sufficiently make for our purpose, if we declare by Scripture, y^t among the wicked and prohibited workes, which Satan acteth in those that giue themselues vnto him, some are by way of dreames, and others are done waking, and are really true. And although the natures of dreames may be in∣finitely varied, (a thing incident to all dreames, whether they be diuine,* 1.288 naturall, or diabolicall, which is the full and complete diuision of dreames, that Tertullian ma∣keth in his booke of the soule in the Chapter de somnijs) yet cannot these seuerall qualities or diuersities, make these dreames that they should not bee the reall workes of Satan, as in like manner the diuersity of them doth not hinder them, to be diuine or naturall. This distincti∣on doth prompt vnto vs another, and that is, that those things which are dreames to some, are truthes to others, and this is also common vnto diuine and naturall dreames,* 1.289 for there is no repugnancy that one man may really practise that, which another man dreameth of himselfe: as in the booke of Iudges, we heare of a soul∣dier who dreamed that Gedeon came to assault and

force their campe, and at the same time, Gedeon did in∣deede come vnto their campe, and did that which the other dreamed. I do purposely let passe diuers other, whether they be diuine, naturall, or diabolicall, which are recited by Tertullian in the place aboue alleaged: let it suffice to relate one discourse out of Saint Au∣gustine very pregnant for the purpose now in hand:* 1.290 where he maketh mention of a certaine man of his time, who was very desirous to vnderstand the meaning of a passage in Plato, that was very obscure vnto him, and to that purpose did oftentimes addresse himselfe vn∣to a Philosopher, and repared much vnto his house to haue his opinion concerning the same, but he could ne∣uer vnderstand the interpretation of it. At the last, as this man was vp late in his study there came vnto him, as he thought, this P••ilosopher and began to speake vn∣to him of the said passage, and in conclusion did so cleerely explaine and vnfold it, that he rested very fully satisfied. It chanced not long after, that this Philoso∣pher came againe vnto him, whereupon hee demanded him, why he would not giue explication of the said passage at home in his owne house, but had rather inter∣pret it in the house of another man. To which the Phi∣losopher replied, I did indeede dreame that I had ex∣pounded this passage vnto you, but the truth is I neuer did. From hence Saint Augustine inferreth, that the same thing which is a dreame to one may be a truth to another: for whiles the Philosopher was dreaming that he was expounding the said passage, the other receiued waking the reall words of that exposition. He also tel∣leth of another, who hauing slept diuers dayes together, so that hee could bee waked by no meanes that they could vse vnto him; he told his seruants when he did awake, that hee dreamed that hee was changed into an horse, and that hee hid prouender in a certaine field which hee described vnto them, and it was indeede found that such an accident had happened. Vpon these

two suppositions we affirme, that those things which are reported of Sorcerers might bee both dreamed and done, and that which was a dreame to one might bee a truth to another. And for the first, wee are to attribute vnto dreames, whatsoeuer is written in the 26. distincti∣on of the Decretals in cap. Episcopi,* 1.291 which is so often alleaged by those that hold all witch-crafts whatsoeuer to be nothing else but dreames, when as the particulars there recited are not onely false and fabulous, but re∣pugnant vnto Scripture, and impossible to Satan, such as is the raising of Herodias to life: this opinion wee ought to haue of the like sentences and authorities. In the second place we are to ranke all charmes and wic∣ked practises wrought by Sorcerers and Magicians, which the holy Scripture, the Fathers, and a cloud of Histories do mention, as things really put in execution. By which meanes we shall easily reconcile as well the Scriptures, and the Fathers, as Histories also, which o∣therwise might seeme to crosse and contrary one the o∣ther. As for example, Iohn Baptista the Neapolitan in his 2. booke and 26. Chapter, reporteth that himselfe being curious to know the truth of that which witches do depose, he so ordered the matter that he beheld with his owne eyes that which they did, and indeede hauing gotten the consent of an olde witch, hee saw all their manner of proceeding thorow the chinke of a doare, and beheld an olde woman standing naked, and an∣nointing her selfe with a certaine oyntment, which when she had done she fell into such a sound sleepe, that she could not be awaked by the most violent stripes that could be laid vpon her. At the last being awaked, shee affirmed that she had passed ouer the seas, and had seene diuers strange sights which shee recited in his presence, and in the presence of diuers others who together with him came to see the same. And when they shewed vnto her the markes of the stripes which shee had receaued when she was a sleepe, shee would beleeue nothing of

these things. Apuleius reporteth of himselfe, that be∣ing curious to see the fashions of witches, hee was brought by a chamber-maide to a secret place, where he might behold them, and looking in like manner tho∣row the chinke of the chamber doore, he saw a naked witch besmearing of her selfe with an oyntment which she had, and while she was rubbing and annointing her selfe, she was transformed by little and little (as seemed vnto him) into an Oule, and at the last there appeared winges vpon her, and soone after she flew abroad through the window: of which strange metamorpho∣sis himselfe, as hee said, was the spectator. These two Histories reported by two men curious beyond ordina∣ry to vnderstand the truth of these secrets, do well shew that both the one and the other might be true enough: for we ought not to giue more credite to Iohn Baptista the Neapolitan then to Apuleius the Affrican, since Saint Augustine himselfe dared not to affirme, that those strange things which Apuleius wrote were fables:* 1.292 hee rather sheweth how these things may bee done. Wee may therefore do well to yeeld both to the one and the other, and not from a particular fact to inferre a generall conclusion, as they doe who attribute all these things vnto dreames onely, which is against the rule in Lo∣gicke, à particulari ad vniuersale consequentia nulla. There might also be mistakes and mistes in the eyes, as Saint Augustine teacheth in the booke and Chapter before cited: where relating the History of Iphigenia,* 1.293 he saith, that she was not really sacrificed as all the as∣semblie did imagine, but there was a stagge conueyed in steede of her, which by y^e charms of the Deuil did ap∣peare vnto the lookers on to bee Iphigenia. It may also fall out, that thorow the same impostures of the Deuill, men may thinke they see the body of a man, when it is nothing so, and hauing their eyes dazeled and disaffec∣ted, they may mistake one thing for another.* 1.294 And hereof there are many relations in Saint Clement, which

he reciteth in his bookes of Recognitions, where hee also describeth sundry feates which he saw Simon Ma∣gus to practise. Yet on the contrary part, it is not al∣waies true that this happeneth thorow impostures and illusions, as the History of Hermotymus w••ll witnes∣seth,* 1.295 who sundry times told his wife that in the time of his sleepe hee visited diuers parts and quarters of the world, his soule for a time relinquishing his body, and afterwards returning home vnto him, whereof hee was verily perswaded. His enemies would make triall of the truth hereof by cutting his throat, but as Tertullian ieastingly saith, his soule came not backe againe in time, so that he neuer waked after. Now if this had been done by charmes and delusions, hee had been in no danger to haue died, because they should not haue medled with his body, but with a seeming and suppo∣sititious body; but it being otherwise, it appeareth that it was his owne body. So that there are three man∣ners of proceeding; for either they sleepe and dreame, or they goe thither really, or the Diuell putteth him∣selfe in their place, and carrieth them some where else. Thus may these sundry waies be all true, and such an ac∣cident may happen either meerely in a dreame, or really and indeed;* 1.296 or else the body which appeareth to lie a∣sleepe may proue a phantasme, although it may so fall out, that sometimes it is the true body of him, whose wee thinke it to bee. The difficulty then lyeth in the distin∣guishing and discerning when such a thing really is acted, or when there is but an apparancy of the same by dreames and impostures.* 1.297 S. Augustine in that notable chapter aboue cited, doth if wee marke him well, giue vs the resolution hereof: for hee telleth vs, that in these cases there are three remarkeable rules, that present themselues vnto our obseruations. The first is, that you must iudge of these things by the experience and reali∣ty that ensueth thereupon; as if a man would know, whether there were the true and perfect reality of that

which was represented in the sacrifice of Iphigenia, the answere is, that there was not, but that there was ano∣ther substance by a diabolicall art foysted into her place: for experience (saith he) did afterwards declare that Iphigenia was found in another country farre re∣mote from thence, whether she had been carried aliue by the Diuels, and liued a long time after this accident. By the like experience he concludeth, that the compa∣nions of Diomedes were not turned into birds as was conceiued, because, the said birds did build their nests, and multiplyed their kind as other birds vsually doe. Now this propagation of their kind is a reality which giueth sufficient proofe to conclude, that these men were carried into other places by Diuels, and these birds were cunningly and suddenly conueied into their roomes: neither could these birds be meerely apparan∣ces, but they were truly as they seemed, and the experi∣ence of the reality of their nature doth blow away all suspitions of illusion. Besides, the Diuels impostures (as S. Thomas hath learnedly obserued) can haue no long time of subsistence, because they are not reall natures,* 1.298 but onely common accidents (as the Logicians tearme them) whose property is to bee easily changed by any naturall alteration. This rule giueth vs to vnderstand, that what Moyses did in Aegypt and in the wilder∣nesse was not done by illusion;* 1.299 for the fishes did die indeed in the riuer that was changed into blood, and the Caterpillers and other vermine that spoyled the corne, the barly, the vines, and trees of Aegypt were truly that which they seemed to bee. It also declareth that what the Diuell wrought against Iob was not seemingly done,* 1.300 but really acted with a great deale of malice; witnesse the death of his children and seruants, and the downefall of the house vpon them. This rule we are to practise in the charmes of Witches, and to see if there be any reality in that which they giue out they haue done: which falling out so frequently true, we are

no longer to question the verity of the same. There is a reality in their murthering of Infants; for it is confir∣med by the report of their parents, that the children which they said they had strangled, were found stran∣gled indeed, as they had themselues deposed. In like manner the dis interring of their bodies was a truth, be∣cause their bones were not found lying in their graues. There is a reality in the mark which they beare in their bodies, the which of all other parts is leprous, and de∣uoid of sense, and which can bee found vpon none but vpon such as are said to be Witches. There is also a rea∣lity in the peece of their garment, which in signe of ho∣mage they present vnto the Diuell, and wee haue seene with our eyes, that such a like peece was wanting in their garment, as they themselues had reported. There is a manifest reality in the charmes which they cast vp∣on man and beast, making them dull and almost dead, and by their words reuiuing and setting them in as good plight as they were before; not (saith Lactantius) that they can heale diseases,* 1.301 for this is not in the com∣passe of the Diuels power, although it be in their natu∣rall power to infuse an infirmity into any part of a li∣uing body, as appeareth in the history of the Demoniaek that was both dumbe and deafe, and of the woman that was crooked, so that shee could not lift vp her eyes to heauen; and therefore by taking away this impedi∣ment they doe not really cure a disease, but withdraw the stop that hindered those operations of nature, God somtimes permitting him by his iust, though hidden iudgement to doe this, although further then this hee cannot passe,* 1.302 as S. Augustine often inserreth. So that it is apparant by the first rule, that the confessions made by Sorcerers are not alwaies dreames, but doe often∣times containe facts that haue been really practised.

The second rule drawne both from S. Augustine, and from S. Thomas is, to obserue whether all that is spoken in this argument, doth lie in the naturall power

of the Diuell.* 1.303 This S. Augustine obscurely noteth when in the history of Diomedes hee saith, that this transmu∣tation was by a secret substraction and conueying a∣way of their bodies, because it doth transcend the na∣turall power of Diuels to change one body into ano∣ther according to their substance; and therefore it must needs bee that this collusion was by transporting and placing one body into the roome of another. S. Augu∣stine would not yeeld vnto the first, because as hee had already declared, it was aboue the naturall power of the Diuell: but he granteth the second, in regard that it is within the compasse of his force and working: Neque enim (saith he) daemonibus iudicio dei permissis huiusmo∣di praestigia difficilia esse possunt. And as hee expresseth it else where, the Diuell can do this when he will, & how he will, if so be that God doth expresly command him, or doth leaue him to his owne nature: Quando volunt, & quomodo volunt Deo vel iubente vel sinente. S. Tho∣mas betaketh himselfe to this rule when he saith,* 1.304 that if the Diuell should busie himselfe in the resurrection of the dead. or in any other supernaturall workings, wee must be strong that all these things are meere illusions: for although God by his vniuersal prouidence doth im∣ploy wicked Spirits vpon many occasions, yet doth hee neuer vse them in working of miracles, which he reser∣ueth vnto himselfe, and to his, because Diuels haue no capacity to receiue such supernaturall endowments. This rule did distinguish the magicall workes of Simon Magus from those of S. Peter and the other Apostles,* 1.305 as S. Clement, and S. Ireneu•• doe witnesse: and this rule shall make the workes of Antichrist to bee discerned from those of the Christians. And this rule gaue Saint Augustine occasion to say, that not onely the admira∣ble workes of the Diuell comprehended in the old and new Testament were to bee beleeued, but also many o∣ther things were to be credited, which prophane histo∣ries, and Poets themselues doe mention of them, and

which were in former ages accounted fables: although S. Augustine out of the great subtility of his spirit, and his deepe knowledge in holy Writ, would not venture to say that they were fables; hee rather sheweth that this might bee true either really or in outward appa∣rance. For as Tertullian said:* 1.306 Daemones, soli nouere Chri∣stiani. From whence could the Christians better know this then from the Scriptures? Whereupon it followeth, that none can truly and iudicially determine this point, vnlesse he bee conuersant in the holy Scriptures, and in the ancient Fathers, from whence the true resolution hereof may be drawne.* 1.307 To conclude this point touch∣ing the extent of the Diuels naturall power, and how farre it teacheth, it is not my intendment to enlarge my discourse thereof to the full; I will onely say with Saint Thomas who had the soule of S. Augustine,* 1.308 as a mā may say, doubled vpon him, that it is in the Diuels naturall power to doe as much as the vtmost strength of nature can reach vnto: for he is able to vse those meanes which nature accustometh to serue her selfe withall,* 1.309 and appli∣eth one thing vnto another, iust as nature doth: as when a man by applying a torch vnto char-coale doth pre∣sently fire the same, which nature would also produce but at more leisure: and this appeareth in the causes of lightning, which are longer ere they produce their ef∣fect, whereas wee shoot off our Artillery suddenly and without premeditation. And this we are taught by ex∣perience: for the Angels, who wheele about the hea∣uens, by the application of their motions vnto these i••∣feriour elements, doe cause naturall things to bee pro∣duced, euer presupposing a matter and forme whereup∣on to worke, which were immediately created by God himselfe. Hence it is that they are called both in the Psalmes and in the Gospel,* 1.310 Virtutes Coelorum: for with∣out them the heauens would haue no more efficacie or power in the production of things, then the body hath to worke without a soule; which S. Augustine wel glan∣ceth

at in the third Booke against Maximin the Arrian,* 1.311 the seuenteenth chapter: So that those things which Sorcerers depose are within the natural power of Satā; as may be seene in the whole frame of this Booke, espe∣cially in the Annotations vpon the ensuing Sentence. Therefore it is plaine that the second rule doth positiue∣ly conclude that all these workings are not meerely dreames: and this is not repugnant to Scripture, Fa∣thers, or Histories, much lesse vnto reason; and for fur∣ther verification of this second rule, obserue that which is written in the booke of Exodus,* 1.312 where mention is made of Pharaohs Magicians, and also that which is set downe in the first three Chapters of the booke of Iob.* 1.313

The third rule is grounded vpon generall causes and occurrences. S. Augustine dared not to call these things fables, but amasseth and heapeth together whatsoeuer had been formerly practised, or remained in vse in his time, in all the quarters of the world. Some of those whom he questioned with, did tell him what they had heard related vnto them by very credible persons, o∣thers what they had seene and found by their owne ex∣perience. See S. Augustine in the 16. 17. and 18. chap∣ters of the eighteenth booke of the City of God.* 1.314 This generality gaue occasion vnto Hippocrates to speake diuinely, of those vniuersall and nationall diseases, say∣ing that a generall plague cannot proceed from ordina∣rie causes in nature, but must bee attributed to come from God, and from inuisible causes. The same may be said in this theame of Witches, which is no lesse impor∣tant. It is a wondrous thing, that the Witches of France and of our times, should depose no more nor no lesse, then those of Germany, 60. or 80. yeeres agoe. And And whereas it may be said that they haue been traded in the bookes which haue been written either in Latine or in the vulgar tongue, by learned men, that haue set downe their behauiours agreeable vnto the truth of their owne depositions: yet wee shall find them to bee

mechanicall persons, so deuoid of all shew of learning, that through the earthinesse of their vnderstandings, they rather seeme to be beasts then men. Hence we may inferre, that this generality and conformity of the facts, doth make a full declaration of the truth thereof, if wee will yeeld vnto probabilities and reason: which is ano∣ther ground that wee will propound to those that say, that there is a repugnancy in reason against these things. For how can that which happeneth vpon a set day, as vpon a Thursday, or the like, bee said to bee a dreame? if it were so, why might it not as well fall out vpon some other day? yet is it agreed vpon at all hands, that these assemblies of Witches are neuer held but vp∣on Thursdaies: whereupon we demand, why rather on this day then vpon any other? Againe, if it were but a dreame, how chanceth it that so many people, in such diuersity of places, and dwelling in countries so remote one from another, should in one and the selfe same time haue all one kind of dreame? Physitians hold, that the diuersities of meates, and their seuerall quantities, doe breed and cause the variety we haue in dreames: and is it likely that all those persons, doe at the same time vse the same kinds of meates, and in the selfe same quanti∣ty, that they thus iumpe and concurre in dreames of the same chance and nature? They further affirme, that the seuerall complexions of men doe also beget a diuersity in dreames: so that the sanguine man dreameth of plea∣sant things: the melancholicke of sad accidents: the martialist of warre: in like manner, the dreames of young men are ordinarily different from the dreames of old men; and the dreames of men doe vary from those of women:* 1.315 wherein I appeale to Aristotle, Ar∣temidorus and others, who haue made set Treatises of this argument. Since then for the most part these kind of Witches are different in complexion, age, sex, and sect, how happeneth it that they should all dreame? or if they doe dreame, whence ariseth it that they should

all dreame the selfe same thing, without variation in any circumstance one from another; and which is more, in the same day and houre? It will bee said, that the Di∣uell is assuredly the cause hereof. Be it so, now you come neere vnto the truth, since you grant that this doth transcend the forces of man, and that it must be attribu∣ted to the working of the Diuell. Thereupon I demand, since that it is by them decreed vpon, that this is a true dreame, because it is in the Diuels power to effect such a thing, why are they so precise to acknowledge a rea∣lity in the fact, when it is also in the compasse of the Diuels power, to accomplish the same? Besides experi∣ence confirmeth it, neither is it against Scriptures, Fa∣thers, or Histories: nay it is foreshowen vnto vs, that at the end of the world, these things should bee more fre∣quent then euer they were before; as we will afterward proue. But it is not probable, that such a generality and conformity should bee a dreame foysted in by the Di∣uell.* 1.316 For first, one Diuell can worke but in one place at one time, as Iustin Martyr, Didymus, and S. Thomas do declare. So that it cannot be one Diuell alone that is to labour this businesse, but they must bee many, and their number must equall the number of the Sorcerers and Witches that are to dreame; and then must they labour and runne in and out, yea and tye themselues vnto a set day and houre; which is as strange as the reality of the fact. For why should the Diuell denie to doe such a thing, but at a set time, and should tye himselfe vnto this day and houre, rather then to any other? It may happen that the Diuels aduantage shall at that very time lie another way, and there may some great occasi∣on offer it selfe to tempt others in matters of a far more execrable nature then these dreames are, so that they cannot attend this, and then it must needs follow, that many of these Sorcerers cannot dreame, because their Diuels are imployed in more diabolicall negotiations, and vse therein both their art and apprehension. Be∣sides

the Diuell may stirre the phantasie of a man as ap∣peareth by the temptations which he presenteth before vs,* 1.317 and as he practised vpon Iudas, Anaenias, and Saphi∣ra, but he cannot vse our phantasies at his pleasure, and present vnto them whatsoeuer he will, because it is in our power to diuert his working from them. For as S. Thomas saith, he cannot make an impression of colours into the phantasie of one that is borne blind, neither can he make the sound of a voyce in one that is natu∣rally deafe (which is beyond the power of nature her selfe) yet is he able to moue the phantasie, and to offer vnto it, those obiects which it hath formerly receiued. Now the phantasies of all these kinds of people are not in euery respect alike, neither are they at all times, and vpon all occasions equally disposed; so that it will bee very improbable, to attribute this cōfluence of phanta∣sies vnto dreames, yea it will bee more incredible, then to affirme that these things are palpablie and really pra∣ctised, considering what wee haue already alleaged for confirmation of the same. For there is no absurdity that can follow thereupon, neither is it against the Scrip∣ture, Fathers, Histories, or reason. But touching the first assertion, that they are but dreames, there are many in∣conueniences that doe vnauoidably follow vpon it, as we haue in part declared. One point remaineth vnre∣solued, which may s••agger weake and vnaduised per∣sons in reading the Fathers. Lodouicus Viues of Grana∣da, who hath commented vpon S. Angustines bookes of the City of God, when he vndertaketh to comment vp∣on that notable and learned chapter, which wee haue so often alleaged, he sheweth himselfe to be a very meane diuine, as indeed he was, although he was well seene in humane learning: and those who reade his Commen∣taries will perceiue that he was (if I may so speake) ra∣ther an Idiot then a Diuine. He then seeing S. Augustine was cleere of opinion, that these things are not alwaies fables, but might fall out indeed; as where Apuleius re∣porteth

of himselfe, that hee was transformed into an Asse; that is to say, hee was couered with the likenesse of that beast; he (I say) not being able to comprehend this with Saint Augustine, doth runne into three g••osse faults: First he accuseth S. Augustine of ignorance, and saith that he read not Lucian, because hee cared not for the Greeke language. Secondly, that Apuleius had drawne his discourse from Lucian, who saith that he had made this of his owne head for sport and pastime. The third fault that he committeth (which is the absurdest of all) is, that whereas S. Augustines conclusion is, that these things may either bee fables, or practised truthes (which is the very resolution of our discourse) Viues doth oppose against this, and saith, that it cannot be but that all these things are meerely imaginary and fabu∣lous; and alleageth the authority of Pliny, that they are not to be held for true. Touching his accusation, that S. Augustine was ignorant, and had not read the workes of Lucian; it cannot bee made to appeare that it is so: how many Greeke Authors can wee cite both sacred and prophane,* 1.318 whom Saint Augustine hath fitly and to good purpose alleaged? although it be true, that he did naturally hate the Greeke tongue, as himselfe confes∣seth in his bookes of Confessions, and did therefore the more apply himselfe vnto Latine. A Commentatour should not lightly burthen his Author, whom he goeth about to explaine, with ignorance, he should rather de∣fend him in whatsoeuer may admit of a defence. Touch∣ing the other imputation, that Apuleius had taken his history from Lucian, it is so farre from being true, that it rather appeareth to the contrary. For Lucian saith, that those things which he had written were fables de∣uised by himselfe: but Apuleius affirmeth confidently, that what hee had set downe, was a certaine truth: hee goeth further, and reproueth those, that conceiue these things to be dreames, and saith that such do shew them∣selues to be altogether vnpractised in affaires of of such

secresie and importance.* 1.319 And if Apuleius had concei∣ued that these things were imaginarie onely, why had hee not, when hee was personally cited before the Go∣uernour of Africke for witchcraft, and Magicke, made a short resolution of this doubt in both his Apologies, which hee published to cleere himselfe, and said, that it was but a popular report and a very fable. But we see he doth not so, but endeauoureth to purge him∣selfe from the suspition of being one of those that pra∣ctised these things.* 1.320 Touching the third; either Viues had not read, or at the least remembred not the senten∣ces of Tertullian and Saint Augustine, alleaged in the Preface vnto this discourse: by the which it is euinced, that Paynims were blind and ignorant in the know∣ledge of good and bad Spirits; yet doth Viues preferre the opinion of Pliny an Infidell and an Atheist, before Saint Augustines, who was the most celebrious and learned Doctor of the Church of God. Certainely if Viues had continued this fashion down to his last Com∣mentaries, where Saint Augustine doth largely proue, that there shall bee a generall resurrection in the same flesh and bones; Viues might as well haue said that this was not to bee credited, because Pliny is of a con∣trary opinion, and might haue ieasted also at this as at a thing full of impossibility and falshood. So that whatsoeuer Saint Augustine doth affirme in this be∣halfe, hee did not take the same from the Schooles of Philosophers, but from the Scriptures, and Schooles of Christians, which he calleth the City of God. This chapter of Saint Augustine hath beene much better ex∣plained by a certaine Doctor of Diuinity, well seene in the Scripture, and conuersant in the Fathers, and in the doctrine of Saint Thomas, who commented vpon the said bookes b••fore Viues his time, and although he were not so learned in humane sciences as Viues was, yet was he a better diuine then he. Who when he com∣meth to the explication of this chapter, he onely giueth

this briefe aduertisement of the same. Hic (inquit) dili∣genter notandus est modus possibilitatis quem ponit Augu∣stinus in transformationibus hominum & bestiarum, qui à minus studiosis videt••r difficilis ad intelligendum. In which hee thwarteth Viues, and toucheth him to the quick, who doth not onely conceite this to be d••fficult but also impossible. To conclude, he that is desirous to see a large and learned Comment vpon this chapter of S. Augustine,* 1.321 let him read S. Thomas in his first part 114 question, art. 4. In the yeere 1584. a Germane Lawyer, called Mr. George Goldeman did first publickly defend by argument (as himselfe declareth) and afterward caused 80. propositions to bee printed, which wholy tended to prooue, that the things which Sorcerers de∣pose, are nothing else but dreames and fancies. Vnto which it will be needlesse to make a full and distinct an∣swere, because they are all of them confuted in diuers passages of this discourse. Yet wee shall doe well to ob∣serue, that hee affirmeth, that before him no man did make the distinction betweene a Magician, a Sorcerer, and a Poysoner, and that the default of this distinction was the cause that none hitherto could resolue this dif∣ficultie. And although hee grant that Magicians and Poysoners are worthy to suffer death, yet hee denyeth that Sorcerers are to be punished with the like, because they haue nothing that is hurtfull in them but meere i∣maginations and illusions: yea, hee is bold to say, that although, when they are awake, they yeeld their assent vnto such imaginations, yet are they no way culpable either before God or men.* 1.322 And to excuse them the more colourably, he alleageth that they are drawne in∣to it by the deceite and sub••letie of Satan, and thorow ignorance and feare: but heerein hee sheweth himselfe too zealous and eager in their defence. For, if there bee a consent and delectation in such fantasies, there can not possibly bee a constraint: and if those concupiscentiall and fleshly cogitations which arise from the corrup∣tion

of our nature bee condemned by the law of God,* 1.323 how much more execrable is that impure carnall com∣mixtion with Diuels, although there be onely a desire, delectation or contentment in the same. But to confute him in one word, since in his 12. proposition he main∣teineth that Magicians doe really renounce God and their Baptisme, and doe adore the Diuell, doing all which hee commandeth them, and putting their whole trust and confidence in him, so farre as to recommend their soules and bodies vnto him at the point of death: wee would aske a reason of him, why Sorcerers should not be as lyable vnto death as those whō he calleth Ma∣gicians, when they trespasse in the same, or in amore ab∣ominable manner then the others doe. For example, if a murtherer be guilty of death, much more doth a par∣ricide deserue the same, and if a fornicatour be seuerely punished, a far greater degree of castigation ought to be inflicted vpon him that committeth adultery: but it is certaine that Sorcerers are knowen to do whatsoeuer he conceiueth Magicians are able to performe: nay ma∣ny tymes they doe a great deale worse, and therefore are more punishable then they. And what letteth it, but that all these things may concurre in one man? since the Scripture itselfe maketh mention of some that were In∣chanters, Magicians, Diuiners, Poysoners and Witches altogether, as amongst the rest King Manasses for one. So that we shall do wel to call those sentences to minde which wee haue formerly cited to this purpose, as also those which are alleaged in the 6. chapter of this booke. But this mans errour is, in that he thinketh it an impos∣sibility, that Diuels should carry men or women in the aire, or should haue carnall knowledge with women, or that such kind of persōs should haue the resemblāces of woolfes, doggs or cats, as hee expresseth it in his 68. Proposition, as also in the 69. and 71. All which errours haue their full confutation in this booke. The grace of our Lord be present with vs alwayes. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 1. Metaph. cap. 1.
• * 1.2

  Exod. 16.
• * 1.3

  Lib. 8, Physic.
• * 1.4

  Lib. 12. Me∣taph. text▪ 48.
• * 1.5

  Ezech. 1.
• * 1.6

  S. Thom. lib. 2. cont. gent. c. 92
• * 1.7

  Lib. 2. Metaph. & lib. 2. de anima.
• a 1.8

  Dan. 7.
• * 1.9

  Psal. 102.
• * 1.10

  Ezech. 10. S. Thomas.
• * 1.11

  S. Thom. 1. p. q. 115. art. 5. Psell lib. de energia Dae∣monum, c. 14.
• * 1.12

  Sap. 2.
• * 1.13

  August. epist. 100. ad Euo∣dium.
• * 1.14

  Act. 23. Matth. 23.
• * 1.15

  Iust. Apolog. 2. haectria vnico medio probat.
• * 1.16

  S. Thom. lib. 3. contr. gent. cap. 107. & 108. & August. lib. 10. de Ciuitat. cap. 11. & Euseb. lib. 5. de praeparat. Euang. cap. 6.
• * 1.17

  Tertull. de pre∣script. heretic. Helias in This∣bi dictione Qua rain. S. Thom. cont. Gent. lib. 3. cap. 104.105.
• * 1.18

  Mercurius Trismegist. in Asclepio.
• * 1.19

  Lactan. lib. inst. & Aug. lib. de ciuit, . 6.
• * 1.20

  Arist. lib. 8. Phys. & lib. de Coelo & Mun∣do.
• * 1.21

  Vide August. lib. 8 de ciuit. cap. 23.
• * 1.22

  Plutarch. lib. de taciturn. oracul.
• * 1.23

  Genes. 3. Gregor. Nazi∣an. orat 1. 2. in Iulian Apo∣stat.
• * 1.24

  Iust. Mart. orat paraenetic. ad gentes. Arist. Prob. sect. 30.
• * 1.25

  Tertull. lib. de testimonio ani∣mae.
• * 1.26

  Ioseph. lib. an∣tiquit.
• * 1.27

  1. Corinth. 5.
• * 1.28

  1. Corinth. 15.
• * 1.29

  Marc. 4.
• * 1.30

  Tertul. lib. de anima.
• * 1.31

  D. Genebard. in Chronol.
• * 1.32

  Gen. 3.
• * 1.33

  S. Basil. in Ex∣amer.
• * 1.34

  August. lib. 5. de Gent. ad tit. cap. 12.
• * 1.35

  Exod. 13.23. 33.
• * 1.36

  Iansen. lib. concord. E∣uang.
• * 1.37

  Acts 23.
• * 1.38

  Theodor. lib. 5 in Epitom. diuin. decret. Act. 6.
• * 1.39

  ad Gal, 3.
• * 1.40

  Dan. 10.
• * 1.41

  4. Reg. 6.
• * 1.42

  Gen. 32.
• * 1.43

  Esai. 6. Ezech. 1. ad Thes. 4. Marc. 13.
• * 1.44

  3. Reg. 22. 2. Paralip. 18. 2. Reg. 24.
• * 1.45

  Psalm. 77.
• * 1.46

  Iob. 1.2
• * 1.47

  Matth 4.
• * 1.48

  August. lib. de orig. animae.
• * 1.49

  Arist. lib.1. de anima.
• * 1.50

  S. Thom. lib. 3. contra Gent. cap 45. ex com∣mentatore comment 63. & lib. 3. de ani∣ma.
• * 1.51

  Imaginatio non transcendit con∣tinuum.
• * 1.52

  Aug lib. 3. de Trinit. cap. 10. Arist. lib. 2. Metaph.
• * 1.53

  S. Thom. li. 3. cont. gent. ••cap. 41. 42. 45. Aristot. li. 8. Phyc. & li. 12. Metaph.
• * 1.54

  Psalm. 103.
• * 1.55

  Exod. 13.20.
• * 1.56

  1. Par. 18. 4. Reg. 2.
• * 1.57

  Exod. 25. 26.
• * 1.58

  Sap. 18. S. Thom. 1.2. quaest. 102. art. 4. ••x probauss. Rabin. & Cle∣ment. Alex∣andr. lib. 5. strom.
• * 1.59

  Cassian. colla∣tio. 10. cap. 2.3.
• * 1.60

  Psalm. 102.
• * 1.61

  Exod. 33.
• * 1.62

  Psal. 17.
• * 1.63

  Clem. Alex∣and. in Strom. Origen. cont. Celsum. Euseb. de praepar. Euang. Tertul. de prae∣scrip. & in Apo∣loget. Chrysostom: Hom. de A∣scensione He∣liae.
• * 1.64

  1. Paral. 28. Aback. 3.
• * 1.65

  Num. 3.
• * 1.66

  1. Regum. 30.
• * 1.67

  Hieron. sub fin. lib. in Epist. ad Ephes.
• * 1.68

  Ouid. in Fast. lib. 1.
• * 1.69

  August. lib. 3. de Trinit. B••rnard. in Cantic. Cant. & lib. de con∣siderat. ad Eu∣genium.
• * 1.70

  August. lib. de haeresib. hae∣res. 28. S. Thom lib. 10 cont. Gent. cap. 20. ait sic te∣nuisse; sed Au∣gust. lib. de hae∣res. 50. & 86. conatur excu∣sare. Cassian. collat 10. c. 2, 3.4.
• * 1.71

  Matth 26.
• * 1.72

  Ioan. 19.
• * 1.73

  Athanas. lib. de communi es∣sentia Patris & Filij.
• * 1.74

  Abac. 2.
• * 1.75

  Didym. lib. 1 de Spiritu sancto.
• * 1.76

  Hieron. lib. 1. comment. in epist. ad Ephes. ad cap. ••.
• * 1.77

  S. Thom. cont. Gent. vbi supr.
• * 1.78

  Hieron. in E∣pist. ••d Ephes. in prologo.
• * 1.79

  Ephes. 6.
• * 1.80

  Ephes. 6.
• * 1.81

  Luke 8. Psal. 8.
• * 1.82

  Psal. 103.
• * 1.83

  Luke 24.
• * 1.84

  Heb. 1.
• * 1.85

  3. Reg. 22.
• * 1.86

  Matth. 12.
• * 1.87

  2. Cor. 12.
• * 1.88

  Tertul. de carne Christi.
• * 1.89

  Tertul. de car∣ne Christi.
• * 1.90

  Tertul. lib. de carne Christ.
• * 1.91

  Matth. 3.
• * 1.92

  Act. 2.
• * 1.93

  Iudic. 13.
• * 1.94

  Psell. lib. 1. de energia Dae∣mon. c. 7. & 23.
• * 1.95

  Act. 7. Philip 3.
• * 1.96

  Apocal. 14.
• * 1.97

  Iud. in Cano∣nic.
• * 1.98

  Athanas. q. 1. ad Antioc. prin∣cip.
• * 1.99

  Chrysost. ho∣mil. 2. in Gent. & homil. de ie∣sunio, & gen. lect.
• * 1.100

  2. Paral 21.
• * 1.101

  Exod. 1.
• * 1.102

  Psal. 80. Arist. Polit. lib. 5. Socrat. lib. 3. Hist Eccles. cap. 10.
• * 1.103

  Act. 6.
• * 1.104

  Exod. 3.
• * 1.105

  Dydimus lib. 2 de Spiritu S.
• * 1.106

  Apoc. 2. 3.
• * 1.107

  Act. 17.
• * 1.108

  Act. 2.
• * 1.109

  Athanas. 41. ad Annoc. princip.
• * 1.110

  Exod. 32. Deut. 6.
• * 1.111

  Exod. 20.
• * 1.112

  Iren. lib. 1. Tertul. de prae∣script. baeret.
• * 1.113

  Iacob. Christo∣politanus E∣piscop. in Psal. 81. Rom. 10. Heb. 2.
• * 1.114

  Esay. 14. Ezechiel. 18.
• * 1.115

  Matth. 25.
• * 1.116

  Genes. 1.
• * 1.117

  Genes. 2.
• * 1.118

  Apocal 10.
• * 1.119

  Chrysost ho∣mil. in Genes.
• * 1.120

  Theodoret in Epitom diuin. decret. lib. 5.
• * 1.121

  Psal. 103.
• * 1.122

  Hierom. in E∣pistol. ad Ti∣tum. S. Thom. 1. p. q 61. ap. 3. Psal. 148.
• * 1.123

  Dan. 3.
• * 1.124

  Chrysost hom. de ieiunio. Genesi. lect. Ioan. 1.
• * 1.125

  Coloss. 1.
• * 1.126

  Genes. 2. Deut. 32.
• * 1.127

  Sapient. 11. Ioan 8. August. lib. 11. de ciuit. cap. 18.
• * 1.128

  Iud. in canon. 2 Petri. 2.
• * 1.129

  Iob. 4.
• * 1.130

  Matth. 25.
• * 1.131

  Theodoret. lib. Epitom. diuin decret.
• * 1.132

  August. lib. 14. de ciuit. cap. 3.
• * 1.133

  August. lib de ciuit. 15.
• * 1.134

  Esay. 14. Ezech. 18.
• * 1.135

  Luc. 10.
• * 1.136

  1. Tim. 3. cap. 2
• * 1.137

  Psal. 102.
• * 1.138

  Matth. 18.
• * 1.139

  Apoc. 12. Iudic. in Ca∣nonic.
• * 1.140

  Of the place or residence of wicked spirits.
• * 1.141

  Hieron. lib. 3. in Epist. ad Ephes. ad cap. 6.
• * 1.142

  Luke 8.
• * 1.143

  Hieron. vbi supra.
• * 1.144

  Ephes. 6.
• * 1.145

  Iud. in canonic. 2. Pet. 2.
• * 1.146

  Luke 8. Matth. 8.
• * 1.147

  Apoc. 12.
• * 1.148

  Hieron. lib. 3. comment. in epist. ad Ephes.
• * 1.149

  Bernard. Hieron. Ioco citato. & Au∣gust. contra Faust. Manich.
• * 1.150

  Iob 1. 2. Cor. 12.
• * 1.151

  Ephes. 6.
• * 1.152

  1. Pet. 5.
• * 1.153

  August. lib. de natura & gra∣tia, cap. 58.
• * 1.154

  Iames 4.
• * 1.155

  Tertul. lib. de fuga in perse∣cut.
• * 1.156

  Iob. 1.
• * 1.157

  Matth. 8.
• * 1.158

  1. Corinth. 10.
• * 1.159

  Hieron lib. 1. comment. in Matth. cap. 5.
• * 1.160

  Luke 8. The chaine wherewithall they are boūd.
• * 1.161

  Tertul. lib. de anima, cap. de Somni••s.
• * 1.162

  Tob. 8.
• * 1.163

  Apoc. 20.
• * 1.164

  Apoc. 16. & 2. ad Thess. 2.
• * 1.165

  Apoc. 20.
• * 1.166

  S. Thom. in quaest. de po∣tent. q. 6. art. 5. & August. lib. 10. de ciuit. cap. 8. vide locum.
• * 1.167

  Their meanes to tempt and deceiue vs.
• * 1.168

  Athon. in vita Anth.
• * 1.169

  Genes. 3.
• * 1.170

  Chrysost hom. 4. de Lazaro. August. lib. 2. de gene. ad litt. S. Thom. 2.2. q. 165. art. 2. ad 2.
• * 1.171

  1. Cor. 9.
• * 1.172

  Genes. 2. 2. Cor. 11.
• * 1.173

  Psal. 113.
• * 1.174

  Matth. 4.
• * 1.175

  Athan. in vita Ant.
• * 1.176

  Psal. 37.
• * 1.177

  1. Cor. 12.
• * 1.178

  Psal. 19.
• * 1.179

  Vide Aug. lib. 2 de ciuit. c 26.
• * 1.180

  2. Cor. 2.
• * 1.181

  Luc. 4.
• * 1.182

  Iob. 1. Matth. 8. Luc. 8.
• * 1.183

  The Diuell chalengeth adoration.
• * 1.184

  Esa. 14.
• * 1.185

  Athan. in defi∣nicion. prici.
• * 1.186

  Valer. Maxim. lib. 1.
• * 1.187

  Ouid. lib. Me∣tamor.
• * 1.188

  Lucian.
• * 1.189

  Epiph. lib 1. cont. ha••••••ses
• * 1.190

  Vide Brinium Iib. 8. natural. historiae. Lactan. in di∣uinis instituti∣onibus.
• * 1.191

  Matth. 4.
• * 1.192

  Aug. lib. 10. de ciuit.
• * 1.193

  The Diuel is ignorant of things to come Genes. 2.
• * 1.194

  Tertull. de prae∣scrip. haeret.
• * 1.195

  Genebrar. in Chron.
• * 1.196

  4. Reg. 1.
• * 1.197

  Ierem. 17.
• * 1.198

  Esay. 41.
• * 1.199

  1. Cor. 2.
• * 1.200

  Psal. 7.
• * 1.201

  Dan. 2.
• * 1.202

  Dydim. lib. 2. de Spirit. sanct.
• * 1.203

  Ios. 13.
• * 1.204

  Hieron. lib. 2. comment. in Matth. ad c. 15.
• * 1.205

  August lib. de scientia dae∣monum.
• * 1.206

  4. Reg. 1. & 1. Reg. 28.
• * 1.207

  Leuit. 19.
• * 1.208

  Athanas. q. 27. ad Antioch. Princ.
• * 1.209

  Athanas. in vi∣ta Anthon.
• * 1.210

  Herod. in ini∣tio. Esay 23. 14. 45. Ierem. 23. Dan. 8. 10.
• * 1.211

  Lactant. lib. diuin. institut. Hieron. lib. 12. comment. in Esaiam. ad cap. 41.
• * 1.212

  Athanas. de vita Anthon.
• * 1.213

  Luk. 4.
• * 1.214

  Chrysost. Ho∣mil. 8. in. 2. epist. ad Ti∣moth.
• * 1.215

  Sorcery a gree∣uous and ab∣hominable sin. Plin. lib. 30. natur. hist c. 1.
• * 1.216

  Philostrat. lib. 4.
• * 1.217

  2. Timoth. 3.
• * 1.218

  Exod. 7. & 8.
• * 1.219

  Rabbi, Leui, Ben. Gerson in cap. 8. Exod.
• * 1.220

  Psalm. 57.
• * 1.221

  Leuitic. 19. & 20.
• * 1.222

  Exod. 22.
• * 1.223

  Deut. 18.
• * 1.224

  Act. 8.13.16.19
• * 1.225

  Hieron. prolog. in epist. ad Ephes.
• * 1.226

  4. Reg. 2.3.
• * 1.227

  Cornelius Tacit.
• * 1.228

  Apuleius in vtraque Apo∣log.
• * 1.229

  Exod. 22.
• * 1.230

  Leuitic. 18.
• * 1.231

  Leuitic. 20.
• * 1.232

  Act. 7.
• * 1.233

  1. Reg. 28.
• * 1.234

  4 Reg. 23.
• * 1.235

  4. Reg. 21.
• * 1.236

  Esay 4.7.
• * 1.237

  Ezechi. 28.
• * 1.238

  Psal. 2.
• * 1.239

  Psalm. 2. Osculamini fi∣lium Ado••ate pure! Oppo∣site against that damned custo••e of Sorcer••••••, who k••sse the Diuell in the likenesse of a Goate, as shall afterwards be specified. 1 Corinth. 6.
• * 1.240

  Apoc. 13.
• * 1.241

  Iren. lib. 1.
• * 1.242

  Apoc. 13. The Dra••on is bound in the Apocalypse chap 20. that is to say Lu∣cifer.
• * 1.243

  Ezod. 7.
• * 1.244

  Genes. 4. Rabby Dauid Quimhi.
• * 1.245

  2. Timoth. 3.
• * 1.246

  Vide Heliam Leuitam in Thes b. Dictione The∣raphm. Leuit. 19. & 20.
• * 1.247

  Deuteron. 18.
• * 1.248

  2. Paral. 33.
• * 1.249

  Rabby Dauid Qu••mhi in Naum Pro∣phetam. Sanctes Pag∣nin. in Thesau∣ro.
• * 1.250

  Munsterus in L••xico.
• * 1.251

  Mich. 3.
• * 1.252

  Tertul. lib. de Baptis.
• * 1.253

  Matth. 4. & 17. Hieron. in Matth. & Chrysost.
• * 1.254

  August. lib. 21. de ciuitat. S. Thom. 1. p. q. 115. art. 5.
• * 1.255

  Zonar. tom. 3.
• * 1.256

  Genebrard. lib. 4. Chron.
• * 1.257

  2. Corinth. 11.
• * 1.258

  Chrysost. hom. 4. de fide Ann.
• * 1.259

  Theodor. lib. histor.
• * 1.260

  Sanctes Pag∣ninus in The∣sauro.
• * 1.261

  1. Reg. 2••.
• * 1.262

  Helias Leuit. in Thisby.
• * 1.263

  Esay 34.
• * 1.264

  Thren. 4.
• * 1.265

  Duris lib. 2. de rebus Lybicis.
• * 1.266

  Esay 34.
• * 1.267

  Chrysost. hom. 13. in 1. ad Timoth.
• * 1.268

  Theodore. in haeretic. fabulis
• * 1.269

  Athanas▪ in ••di∣sputatione contra Arrium in Niceno concilio
• * 1.270

  Tertul. lib. 2. cont. Marcio.
• * 1.271

  Coloss. 1.
• * 1.272

  Erasm. in Chiliad.
• * 1.273

  Luc. 4.
• * 1.274

  Athan. orat. 1. cont. Arrian.
• * 1.275

  Origen. in Numer.
• * 1.276

  August. lib. 10. de ciuit. cap. 11.
• * 1.277

  1. Cor. 5.
• * 1.278

  Hieron. aduer∣sus vigilant. Iob. 40.41.
• * 1.279

  Matth. 4.
• * 1.280

  Gregor. Na∣zian. orat. in Cyprian.
• * 1.281

  Athanas ora∣tion. 1. aduer∣sus Arrian.
• * 1.282

  Hieron lib. de scrip. Eccles.
• * 1.283

  2. Thes. 2.
• * 1.284

  Leuit. 19.
• * 1.285

  2. Paralip. 33.
• * 1.286

  Ierem. 27.
• * 1.287

  Num. 22.
• * 1.288

  Tertul. lib. de Anima cap. de somnijs.
• * 1.289

  Iudg. 7.
• * 1.290

  August. lib. 18. de Ciuitat Dei cap. 18.
• * 1.291

  Distinct. 26. cap. episc.
• * 1.292

  Apul. de Asino aureo.
• * 1.293

  August. de ciui∣tate lib. 18. cap. 18.
• * 1.294

  Clemens in re∣cognitionib.
• * 1.295

  Tertul. lib. de anima cap. de Hermotymo.
• * 1.296

  Caiet. in 2. m 2••. q. 95. art. 2.
• * 1.297

  August. lib. 18. de ciuit. Dei. cap. 18.
• * 1.298

  D. Thom.
• * 1.299

  Exod. 7.
• * 1.300

  Iob. 2.
• * 1.301

  Lactan. li. 2. diuinar. inst. cap. 16. Luc. 11. Luc. 13.
• * 1.302

  August. lib. 2. cont. aduersa legis cap 12. & lib. 22. cont. Faust. cap. 72. & lib. de S. Virg. cap. 40. & 42.
• * 1.303

  August. lib. 1. de ciuit. cap. 18.
• * 1.304

  D. Thom. 1. p. q. 114. art. 4. ad 2.
• * 1.305

  Clemens in recognit. lib. 3. Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 57.
• * 1.306

  Tertul. lib. de anima.
• * 1.307

  S. Thom. p. q. 114. ar. 4.
• * 1.308

  Sixtus Senensis Biblioth. Sacrae lib. 3. in Tho∣ma.
• * 1.309

  Vid. Iustin. q. 2••. ad Or∣thodox.
• * 1.310

  Psal. 32. Luc. 12.
• * 1.311

  August. lib. 3. cont. Maxim. cap. 17.
• * 1.312

  Exod.
• * 1.313

  Iob. 1. 2. 5.
• * 1.314

  August lib. 18. de ciuit. cap. 16. 17. 18. Hippocrates lib. 2. de mor∣bis, & lib. de affection.
• * 1.315

  Arist. lib. de Som. Artemi∣dor. de Som∣nior. interpre∣tatione.
• * 1.316

  Iustin Mart. q 40. Didym. lib. 1. de Som. Thom. 1. p. q.
• * 1.317

  Ioan. 13. Act. 5. S. Thom. 1. p. q. 111. art. 3. ad. 2. m
• * 1.318

  Aug. lib. Conf.
• * 1.319

  Apul. Apol. 1. & 2.
• * 1.320

  Tertul. lib. de Anima. Augustin.
• * 1.321

  D. Thom. 1. p. q. 114. a••t. 4. Ioan. Georgius Goldemanus in disputatione habita Rosto∣chii 26. Febru∣arii anno 1584 in collegio Fratrum ex∣cussa, Franco∣furt: propositi∣one prima, se∣cunda & ter∣tia. Propositione 11. 12. 14.
• * 1.322

  Propositione 38. vsque 61.
• * 1.323

  Exod. 10. Matth. 5.