A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is reuealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true experience. Framed and deliuered by M. William Perkins, in his ordinarie course of preaching, and now published by Tho. Pickering Batchelour of Diuinitie, and minister of Finchingfield in Essex. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table; one of the order and heades of the treatise; another of the texts of Scripture explaned, or vindicated from the corrupt interpretation of the aduersarie.

Sect. I.

I say it is an Arte, because it is com∣monly so called and esteemed amongst men, and there is reason why it should be thus tearmed. For as in all good and lawfull arts, the whole practise thereof is performed by certaine rules and pre∣cepts, and without them nothing can be done: so Witchcraft hath certaine superstitious grounds and principles whereupon it standeth, and by which a∣lone the seats and practises thereof are commonly performed.

If it be demaunded, what these rules be, and whence they had their begin∣ning, considering that euery Arte hath reference to some author, by whom it was originally taught and deliuered? I answer, that they weare deuised first by Satan, and by him reuealed to wicked and vngodly persons of auncient times, as occasion serued: who receiuing them from him, became afterward, in the iust iudgement of God, his instruments to

report and conuey them to others from hand to hand.

For manifestation whereof, it is to be considered, that God is not onely in generall a Soueraigne Lord and King ouer all his creatures, whether in hea∣uen or earth, none excepted, no not the deuills themselues; but that he exerci∣seth also a speciall kingdome, partly of grace in the Church militant vpon earth, and partly of glorie ouer the Saints and Angels, members of the Church triumphant in heauen. Now in like manner the Deuill hath a king∣dome, called in Scripture the kingdom of darknes, whereof himselfe is the head and gouernour, for which cause he is tearmeda the Prince of darknes,b the God of this world, ruling and effectually work∣ing in the hearts of the children of dis∣obedience.

Againe, as God hath enacted Laws, whereby his kingdome is gouerned, so hath the deuill his ordinances, whereby he keepeth his subiects in awe and obe∣dience, which generally and for sub∣stance, are nothing else but transgressi∣ons

of the very lawe of God. And a∣mongst thē all, the precepts of Witch∣craft are the very chiefe and most noto∣rious. For by them especially he holds vp his kingdome, and therefore more esteemeth the obedience of them, then of other. Neither doth he deliuer them indifferently to euery man, but to his owne subiects, the wicked; and not to them all, but to some speciall and tried ones, whome he most betrusteth with his secrets, as beeing the fittest to serue his turne, both in respect of their wil∣lingnesse to learne and practise, as also for their abilitie to become instruments of the mischiefe, which he intendeth to others.

If it be here asked, whence the deuill did fetch and conceiue his rules? I an∣swer, out of the corruption and depra∣uation of that great measure of know∣ledge he once had of God, and of all the duties of his seruice. For that beeing quite depraued by his fall, he turnes the same to the inuenting and deuising of what he is possibly able, against God and his honour. Hereupon, well per∣ceiuing

that God hath expressely com∣manded to renounce, and abhorre all practises of Whitchcraft, he hath set a∣broach this art in the world, as a maine pillar of his kingdome, which notwith∣standing is flatly and directly opposed to one of the maine principall lawes of the kingdome of God, touching the seruice of himselfe in spirit and truth.

Againe, the reason why he conueies these vngodly principles and practises from man to man is, because he finds in experience, that things are farre more welcome and agreeable to the com∣mon nature of mankinde, which are taught by man like vnto themselues, then if the deuill should personally de∣liuer the same to each man in speciall. Hereupon, he takes the course at first to instruct some fewe onely, who beeing taught by him, are apt to conuey that which they know to others. And hence in probabilitie this deuillish trade, had his first originall and continuance.

Notes

• a

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 12.
• b

  2. Cor. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Ioh. 4. ••4.