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. III.

The second kind of Diuination, is by counterfeit, and forged meanes, which are

none of the creatures of God: whereof one kind onely is mentioned in Scrip∣ture, viz. when Satan is consulted with in the shape of a dead man. This is com∣monly called Neeromaneie, or the blacke arte, because the Deuill being sought vn∣to by Witches, appeares vnto them in the likenes of a dead bodie. And it is ex∣pressely forbidden, Deuter. 18. 11. yea condemned by the Prophet Esai, 8. 19, 20. who saith in plaine tearmes, that Gods people ought not to goe from the liuing to the dead, but to the Law and to the testimonie. A memorable example here∣of is recorded in 1. Sam. 28. the obserua∣tion whereof, will discouer vnto vs the chiefe: points of Necromancie. There Saul about to encounter the Philisti••s, beeing forsaken of God, who refused to answer him, either by dreames, or by Vrim; or by the Prophets, inquired for one that had a familiar spirit: and hea∣ring of the Pythonesse at Endor, went vnto her by night, and caused her to raise vp Samuel, to tell him of the issue of the warre. Now the Witch at his re∣quest raised vp the Deuill, with whome

shee was confederate, in Samuels like∣nesse; who gaue him answer concerning his owne ouerthrowe, and the death of his sonnes. Which example declareth plainely, that there is a kind of diuinati∣on, whereby Witches and Sorcerers reueale strange things, by means of the deuill appearing vnto thē in the shapes or shadowes of the dead.

Touching the truth of this example, two Questions may be mooued.

The first is, Whether that which ap∣peared, was true Samuel or not? Some say it was Samuel indeede: others (who hold that there are no Witches) denie that it was either Samuell, or the deuill; and affirme it to be some other counter∣feit comming in Samuels attire to de∣ceiue Saul: both which opinious are false and here to be confuted.

And first, that their opinion which say that true Samuel appeared vnto Saul, is a flat vntruth, I prooue by these reasons.

I. Before this time, God had with∣drawne his spirit from Saul, as himselfe confesseth, and denied to answer him a∣ny

more by ordinarie meanes, in such sort as before he had done. Hereupon I gather, that it is was not probable, that God would now vouchsafe him the fauour to suffer Samuel to come vnto him extraordinarily, and tell him what should be the end of his warre with the Philistins: and to this purpose it is affir∣med twise in that chapter, that God had taken his good spirit from Saul.

II. The soules of the faithfull depar∣ted, are in the hands of God, and doe rest in glorie with himselfe, and their bodies are in the earth, and there rest in peace. So saith the voice from heauen, Reuel. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord: for they rest from their labours, and their works, that is the reward of their workes, follow them immediatly, or at the heeles, as the word signifieth. Now suppose the deuill had power ouer Sa∣muels bodie, yet to make true Samuel, he must haue his soule also. But it is not in the power of the deuill, to bring a∣gaine the soules that are in heauen vnto their bodies, and so to cause them to appeare vnto men vpon earth, and to

speake vnto them. The Deuills king∣dome is in hell, and in the hearts of wicked men on earth; yea whiles the children of God are in this world, he v∣surpeth some authoritie ouer them, by meanes of their owne corruption: But heauen is the kingdome of God and his Saints, where Satan hath nothing to doe, considering that there is no flesh or corruption, to make him entrance or yeeld him intertainement. Neither can it be prooued by Scripture, that the de∣uill can disturbe either the bodies or soules of them that die in the Lord: and therefore the Witch with all her power and skill, could not bring Samuels rot∣ten bodie (for so no doubt it was now) and soule together.

III. This shape which appeared suf∣fered Saul to adore and worshippe it, where is the true Samuel would neuer haue receiued adoration from Saul the king, though it had beene in ciuill man∣ner onely. Whome then did Saul a∣dore? Answ. The Deuill himselfe, who beeing an enemie to the glorie of God, was content to take to himselfe that

honour, which a King in dutie is to per∣forme to God himselfe.

IV. If it had beene true Samuel, he would certainly haue reproued Saul for seeking helpe at Witches, contrarie to Gods commandement, & that doctrine which he had taught him from God in his life time. But this counterfeit repro∣ued him not, and therefore it is not like to be the true Prophet of God, but Sa∣tan himselfe, framing by his art and skill the person and shape of Samuel.

But it is alleadged to the contrarie, that Samuel a••ter his sleepe, prophesied of the death of Saul, Ecclesiastic. 46. v. 20. A••ter his sleepe also he told of the Kings death, &c. Answ. That booke pen∣ned by Iesus the sonne of Sirach is a ve∣ry worthie description of Christian E∣thicks, contaming more excellent pre∣cepts for manners, then all the wri∣tings of heathen Philosophers, or o∣ther men. But yet it is not Scripture, neither did the Church euer hold and receiue it as C••••onicall: yea, the author himselfe ••••sinuateth so much in the be∣ginning thereof: for in the preface he

disableth himselfe to interpret hard things, and after a sort craues pardon for his weaknesse, which is not the man∣ner of the men of God, that were pen∣men of Scripture. For they were so gui∣ded by gods spirit in their proceedings, that nothing could be hard vnto them. This priuiledge no ordinarie man hath assurance of: and therefore this author writing vpon his owne priuate motion, was subiect to error, and no doubt this speach of his, beeing contrarie to that which is recorded in the Canonicall Scriptures, is a flat vntruth.

Secondly, it is obiected, that the Scripture calleth him Samuel, that ap∣peared vnto Saul. Ans. The scripture doth often speake of things, not as they are in themselues, but as they seeme to vs. So it is affirmed, Gen. 1. 16. that God made two great lights, the Sunne and Moone: whereas the moone is lesser then many starres, yet because in regard of her nearenesse to the earth, shee seemeth to vs greater then the rest, therefore shee is called a great light. In like manner Idols in the Scripture are

called Gods, not that they are so indeed, (for an Idoll is nothing, 1. Cor. 8. 4.) but because some men doe so conceiue of them in their mindes. In a word; the Scripture oftentimes doth abase it selfe to our conceit, speaking of things not according as they are, but after the man∣ner of men; and so in this place calleth counterfeit Samuel, by the name of the true Samuel, because it seemed so vnto Saul.

The third obiection: That bodie which appeared, prophecied of things that came to passe the day after, as the death of Saul, and of his sonnes; which indeede so fel out, and at the same time, therefore was like to be Samuel. Answ. There is nothing there said or done, which the deuill might not doe. For when the Lord vseth the deuill as his in∣strument to bring some things to passe, he doth before hand reueile the same vnto him: and looke what particulars the deuill learneth from God, those he can foretell. Now the truth is, Satan was appointed by God to worke Sauls ouerthrowe, and it was made knowne

vnto him when the thing should be done; by which meanes, and by none o∣ther, the deuill was enabled to Foretell the death of Saul. Where (by the way) obserue, that in this case the deuill can reueale things to come certenly, to wit, if he be appointed Gods immediate in∣strument for the execution of them, or knowes them by light of former pro∣phecies in Scripture.

Fourthly, dead men doe often ap∣peare and walke after they are buried. Ans. It is indeede the opinion of the Church of Rome, and of many ignorant persons among vs, but the truth is o∣therwise. Dead men doe neither walke, nor appeare in bodie or soule after death: for all that die, are either Righ∣teous, or wicked: The soules of the Righteous goe straight to heauen, and the soules of the wicked to hell, and their remaine till the last iudgement: and therefore of the iust it is said, that they are blessed when they die, because they rest from their labours, Apoc. 14. 13. But how doe they rest, if after they be dead they wander vp and downe in the earth?

If it be said, that Moses and Elias ap∣peared when Christ was transsigured in the mount; and that Lazarus rose again, and at Christs resurrection many dead bodies rose againe and appeared.

I answer; there were two times when God suffered the dead to be raised vp a∣gaine; either at the planting of his Church, or at the restoring and establi∣shing of it, when it was rased to the foundation. Thus at the restoring of religion in Elias and Elishaes times, the sonne of the Shunamitish wo∣man, 2. King. 4. 34. and the widowes sonne at Sarephta, 1. King. 17. 21. were raised. Againe, when God would restore his Church, which was fallen to Ido∣latrie about the death of Elisha, he caused the like miracle to be wrought in the reuiuing of a dead man by the touching of Elishaes dead carkeise in the graue, thereby to assure the people of their deliuerance, and to cause them to embrace the doctrine of the Prophet after his death, which in his life they had contemned. In like manner at the establishing of the Gospel in the new

Testament, it pleased Christ to raise vp Moses and Elias, and to make them knowne to his Disciples by extraordi∣narie reuelation, that they might be∣leeue that the doctrine which hee preached was not newe, but the same in substance with that which was recorded in the Law and the Prophets, both which were represented by Moses and Elias. So also he wrought the miracle vpon Lazarus, the widowes sonne, and lairus daughter, thereby to sliewe the power of his Godhead, the truth of his calling, the testimonie of his Doctrine: lastly, to make knowne the power of his resurrection, he caused some to rise and appeare to others, when he himselfe rose againe. But out of these two times we haue neither warrant nor example, that God suffered the dead to be raised vp. Wherefore those instances will not any way confirme Samuels appearing, which indeed was not true, but counter∣feite and forged by the Deuill him∣selfe.

Now for the second Opinion, of those which denie that there be any

Witches, and thereupon hold that this was a meere cosenage of the Witch, suborning some man or woman to coū∣terfeit the forme, attire, and voice of Samuel, thereby to delude Saul, that al∣so is vntrue. For he that spake fore∣tolde the ruine of Saul, of his sonnes, and of his armie, yea the time also wherein this was to come to passe: whereas in likelihood no man or wo∣man in all Israel, could haue foretold such things before hand of themselues. It was not then any cosenage, as is affir∣med, but a thing effected by the deuill, framing to himselfe a bodie in the like∣nesse of Samuel, wherein he spake.

If therefore it be manifest, that by counterfeit apparitions of the dead Witches and Sorcerers can foretell things to come: hence sundrie points of Witchcraft may be obserued.

First, that there is a league between the Witch and the deuill. For this was the cause which mooued Saul to seeke to Witches, because neither he him∣selfe, nor any of his seruants could raise vp Satan in Samuels likenesse, as the

Witch of Endor did. But Saul beeing a King, might haue commanded helpe from all the wise and learned men in Is∣rael, for the effecting of such a matter: why then would he rather seeke to a sil∣ly woman, then to them? The reason was, because shee had made a compact with the deuil, for the vsing of his helpe at her de ••aund, by vertue whereof he was as readie to answer, as she to call him; whereas Saul and the learned Iewes, hauing made no such league, nei∣ther he by his power, nor they by their skill, could haue performed such a worke.

Secondly, the deuill will be readie at the call and command of Witches and Sorcerers, when they are intending a∣ny mischiefe. For here the Witch of Endor no sooner spake, but he appea∣red, and therefore the text giues her a name that signifieth one hauing rule and command ouer Pytho, that is, the familiar spirit: yet when he is comman∣ded, he yeelds not vpon constraint, but voluntarily, because he builds vpon his owne greater aduantage, the gaining of

the soule of the Witch. Where by the way, let it be obserued, what a pretious thing the soule of man is; the purchasing wherof, can make the proud spirit of Sa∣tan so farre to abase it self, as to be at the command of a silly woman. Againe, what an inueterate malice Satan bea∣reth to man, which for the gaining of a soule, will doe that which is so contrarie to his nature. It may teach man, what to esteeme of his soule, and not to sell it for so base a price.

Thirdly, by this, the great power of the Deuill in the behalfe of the Sorce∣rer, is made manifest. For he was pre∣sently at hand to counterfeit Samuel, and did it so liuely and cunningly, as well in forme of bodie, as in attire and voice, that Saul thought verily it was the Pro∣phet: which may be a caueat vnto vs, not easily to giue credit to any such ap∣paritions. For though they seeme neuer so true and euident, yet such is the pow∣er and skill of the deuill, that he can quite deceiue vs, as he did Saul in this place.