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. II.

The second part is Iugling. Iugling,* 1.1 is the deluding of the eye with some strange sleight done aboue the or linar••e course of na∣ture. In this description there are two points necessarily required in the point of Iugling, Delusion of the eye, and extra∣ordinarie Sleight.

Delusion is then performed, when a man is made to thinke he sees that, which indeede he sees not. And this is done by the operation of the deuill di∣uersly, but especially three waies. First, by corrupting the humour of the eye, which is the next instrument of sight. Secondly, by altering the ayre, which is the meane by which the obiect or species is carried to the eye. Thirdly, by altering and changing the obiect, that

is, the thing seene, or whereon a man looketh.

This deluding of the sense, is noted by Paul, Gal. 3. 1. O foolish Gal••tians, who hath* 1.2 bewitched you? where the spirit of God ••eth a word borrowed from this kind of sorcerers, which in full meaning signifieth thus much: who hath delu∣ded your eyes, and caused you to thinke you see that, which you see not. As if he should haue said, Looke as the Iugler, by his deuillish art, deludeth the out∣ward eye, and maketh men thinke they see that, which indeede they doe not: Euen so the false Apostles, by their er∣roneous doctrine, haue deluded the eies of your minds, and haue caused you, Ga∣latians, to iudge that to be the word of God, which is not, and that to be truth, which is error and falshood. Paul giues vs to vnderstand by the very phrase v∣sed, that there is such a kind of Iugling, as is able to deceiue the eye: For otherwise his comparison would not hold.

The second thing required in Iug∣ling, is a Sleight done aboue the order

and course of nature. This is the point which maketh those conueiances to be Witchcraft. For if they were within the compasse of nature, they could not be rightly ••earmed and reputed Sorceries; considering that diuerse men, by reason of the agilitie of their bodies, & sleight of their hands, are able to worke diuers feats, which seeme strange to the behol∣ders, and yet not meddle with Witch∣craft. Againe, some by the lawfull art of the Optiks, may shew strange & admira∣ble things, by meanes of light and darknesso, and yet may be free from im∣pution of Magicall worke••; because they keepe themselues wholly within the power and practise of nature. But sleights done 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ouer and aboue delusiō, must passe the ordinarie bounds and precincts of nature, and so are made points of Witchcraft. One memorable example, for the clearer manifestation of this point, we haue in the Scripture, by name in the 7, 8, and 9, Chapters of Exodus, where Moses and Aaron wrought wonders before Pharaoh, tur∣ning the rodde into a serpent, and

water into blood, with many other such like. Now Iannes and Iambres (for so Paul calleth them, 2. Tim▪ 3. 8.) the Magicians of Egypt, did worke the same miracles which Moses and Aaron had done: But here was the difference•• Moses made true creatures, and wrought true mira∣cles, whereas they did all in appearance and outward shew. For theirs were not true reall actions, but onely Magicall il∣lusions, wrought by the sleight & subtil∣ty of the deuil, in the practise of lugling.

And because some thinke, that the serpents and froggs caused by the Ma∣gitians, were true creatures, and all their other workes as really and truely done, as those which Moses and Aaron did, I will here stand a little to shewe and prooue the contrarie, that they were onely in shew and appearance, and not in deede and truth.

First then, if the frogs and serpents caused by Iannes and Iambres were true creatures indeede, and their other sleights true and reall works; then they were made and caused either by the de∣uill, or by God himselfe: (for no man

of himselfe can make a rod to become a true serpent.) But this was done neither by the deuill, nor by God, as shall ap∣pea••e in the sequel••.

They were not done by the Deuill; because the deuill cannot make a true creature, either serpent or frogge.

Hovv doth that appeare? Ans. To make a true creature of any sort, by pro∣ducing the same out of the causes, is a vvork seruing to continue the creation, and is indeede a kinde of creation. Now the deuill as he cannot create a thing at the first, so he is not able to continue the same by a new creation: that beeing a propertie belonging to God onely. For better conceiuing hereof, we must know, that God crea••eth two waies: ei∣ther primarily in the beginning, whē he made all things of nothing, Gen. 1. 1. or secōdarily, in the gouernment of the world, when he produceth a true crea∣ture in a true miracle: yet not making it of nothing (as he did in the beginning) but producing it by ministring and in forming the matter immediately by himselfe, without the aide of ordinarie

meanes and instruments appointed af∣ter the creation. The former is creation properly called; the latter a continu∣ance thereof. Both these God hath re∣serued to himselfe, as incommunicable to any creature. As for the succession and propagation of creatures in their kinds, as of men, beasts, birds, fishes, &c. it is onely a continuation of the crea∣tures in their kindes, and is wrought by ordinarie meanes of generation; but is no continuance of the worke of creati∣on. And the deuill by his power may make counterfeits of the true creatures of God, but neither by creating them, nor by continuing their creation; these two beeing workes peculiar and proper to the Deitie alone.

Againe, if the deuill could turne a rodde into a true serpent, and water in∣to blood indeed, then his power should be equall to the power of the sonne of God himselfe. For the first miracle that he wrought, was the turning of water into wine, loh. 2. And that was no grea∣ter a worke, then the turning of water into blood, or a rod into a serpent. But

this were most horrible blasphemic, to match the deuill with the Son of God, and his finite power, with the power of the Godhead, by which miracles are wrought. And the truth is, Satan can worke no true miracles; neither doth the text import, that the Magicians did that which they did by miracle, but by Inchantment and Sorcerie, Exod. 7. 11. 22. & 8. 7.

In the second place, I affirme that God did not create these creatures, or cause the works of the Magicians: to be effected. And this is prooued by the words of Paul, 2. Tim. 3. 8. who saith, that Iannes and Iambres (which did these workes) withstood Moses and Aa∣ron, whom God had sent, and by whom he wrought. If then God had wrought with the Magicians also, he should haue beene against himselfe, yea, he should haue wrought both waies, for himselfe, and against himselfe, and consequently should haue impeached his ovvne glo∣rie, for the manifestation vvhereof he wrought miracles by Moses and Aaron; which vve may not once thinke of God.

Seeing therefore that these serpents, if they were true creatures, were not crea∣ted either by Satan, because he could not, or by God himselfe, because he would not; it must needes remaine, that they, & all other the Magicians works, were meere illusions, & not otherwise.

Yet for the further clearing of the matter in hand: the text it selfe yeeldeth sundrie reasons, to prooue that these acts of the Sorcerers, were but appea∣rances, and not things really produced.

First, they that cā not do a lesser thing, can not possibly do a greater. Now Mo∣ses shewes that the Egyptian Inchāters could not do a lesser thing then the tur∣ning of rodds into true serpents, or wa∣ters into blood. For they could not by all their power & skill, preserue them∣selues from the plagues of Egypt, as the botch & other iudgements, Exod. 9. 11. which was a more easie thing, then to make or change a creature. Nay, they were not able to bring forth lice by their inchantment, which seemed to be the least miracle, but acknowledged that to be the ••inger of God, Ex. 8. 18, 19.

Secondly, the text saith, that Aarons serpent deuoured their serpents, Exod. 7. v. 12. hence it followeth, that theirs could not be true creatures. For in all likelihood they were all of the same kind, and of like quantitie, at least in shew. And it was neuer seene, that one creature should receiue into it selfe an other creature of equall bignesse, with preseruation of it selfe. Neither hath it been obserued ordinarily, that one crea∣ture shold deuoure another of the same kind. It was therefore a worke of Gods secret power in the true serpent, wherby he would shew that the other were not true and real, but formall & imaginarie.

Thirdly, if the Magicians had beene able to haue made true frogges and ser∣pents, then by the same power they might have remooued those which Moses brought: for the like abilitie is required in both: yet this they could not doe, but were faine to intreat Moses, to pray for their remooueall. So saith the text, Then pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Pray, &c. Exod. 8. 8.

Lastly, the frogges which Moses cau∣sed,

when they were remooued, beeing gathered on ••eapes, caused great cor∣ruption, and the whole land stanke of them, Exod. 8. 14. Againe, the water turned into blood, made the fish in the riuer to die, and the water to stinko, so that the Egyptians could not drinke of the water of the riuer, Exod. 7. 21. But we read of no such effect of the frogges and waters of the Inchanters, which doubtlesse would haue followed as well as the other, if both had beene true and reall creatures. It remaines therefore, that these were but meere appearances and Iugling trickes, and the Sorcerers themselues Iuglers, yea all their works but sleights, caused by the power and subtiltie of Satan, and no true works, as hath beene said. Thus I haue declared the whole nature, grounds, and kinds of this damnable Art.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iugling
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.