A discovery of the impostures of witches and astrologers by John Brinley.

CHAP. XI.

That Witches are not to be sought unto. The Conclusion of the whole work.

THough some have made use of that common Distinction of good Witches and bad, to encourage themselves, and make some pretences for their recourse to those unlawful means, yet therein they do but de∣ceive themselves; forasmuch as all sorts of Witchcraft and Divination are forbidden by the Holy Scriptures. It is expresly forbidden, Levit. 19. 31. and in Saul we have an Example here∣of, who added to his sin of Diso∣bedience, that of enquiring at one that had a Familiar Spirit; yet the profit he received was (but what is gotten by such as forsake the only true God, and run after lies?) the know∣ledge of his own and his sons De∣struction.

Learned men of all sorts, general∣ly condemn this running to Wizards, as St. Augustine in libro 10 de Civit. Dei; King Iames in his Daemon, lib. 3. cap. 5, St. Basil, St. Chrysostome; nay Hippocrates an Heathen; some Schoolmen hold it to be an Apostasie, as Aquinas, Bonaventure, Albertus, and the Edicts of Emperours, and all Learned Divines in our days hold it unlawfull; the Dead by Writing, and the Living Vivâ voce in their Ser∣mons.

Nor is it at all consistent with reason, to assert the Lawfulness of enquiring of Witches, or using of Necroman∣cers. For God who by his Eternal Wisdom created the World at first, does still by his power preserve the works of his Creation, and provides for every man, according to that sta∣tion wherein he sees it convenient to set him; he has given him such op∣portunites, as to make himself happy if he please.

Has taught him to limit his Affecti∣ons and Appetites, and mark unto him the Race wherein he is to per∣form his Course; and so ordered, that the Restraints are void of all unsweet∣ness, and that a man is never more a Captive, than when he lets himself loose to Carnal Delights. So that a man in using the said Practices, does ipso facto declare himself a Rebel against the King of Heaven. Nor is this ever put in practice, but by such as have given themselves over to the things of this World. Will any man seek for Revenge against those have displeased him, at the Devils Instru∣ments; that remembers who it is com∣mands us to forgive one another our Trespasses? or inquire of what is to come, that believes we ought not be solicitous for the Morrow?

The Arguments brought for the Lawfulness of Consulting with such as have Familiar Spirits, are so weak and frivolous, that I shall not trouble

my self to answer them, but only de∣sire my Reader to take Notice, that this Discourse was Writ for no other purpose, than to Confute some Atheisti∣cal persons, who under the maintain∣ing of that Position, That there are no Witches, Mask their disowning of all Spiritual Beings; and by consequence would take away all Religion, and Worship of a Deity out of the world, whereby they might the better deceive their own Souls, and run on in all Sen∣sual and Brutish pleasures.

The End of the First Part.