Scot's Discovery of vvitchcraft proving the common opinions of witches contracting with divels, spirits, or familiars ... to be but imaginary, erronious conceptions and novelties : wherein also, the lewde unchristian all written and published in anno 1584, by Reginald Scot, Esquire.

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Title
Scot's Discovery of vvitchcraft proving the common opinions of witches contracting with divels, spirits, or familiars ... to be but imaginary, erronious conceptions and novelties : wherein also, the lewde unchristian all written and published in anno 1584, by Reginald Scot, Esquire.
Author
Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599.
Publication
[London] :: Printed by R.C. and are to be sold by Giles Calvert ...,
1651.
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Subject terms
Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800.
Demonology -- Early works to 1800.
Occultism -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62395.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Scot's Discovery of vvitchcraft proving the common opinions of witches contracting with divels, spirits, or familiars ... to be but imaginary, erronious conceptions and novelties : wherein also, the lewde unchristian all written and published in anno 1584, by Reginald Scot, Esquire." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62395.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 14, 2024.

Pages

CHAP. XVII.

Witch-mongers reasons, to prove that witches can worke wonders, Bodins tale of a Friseland priest transported, that imaginations pro∣ceeding of melancholy do cause illusions.* 1.1

OLd M. Malificarum also saith, that the counsels and doctors were all deceived herein, and alledging authority therefore, confuteth that opinion by a notable reason, called Petitio principii, or rather, Ignotum per ignotius, in this manner: They can put changelings in the place of other children; Ergo they can tranferre and tranforme▪ them∣selves and others, &c. according o their confession in that behalfe. Item he saith, and Bodin justifieth it, that a priest in Friseland was corporally transferred into a fare country, as witnessed aoher priest of Oberdorf his companion, who saw him aloft in the air: Ergo saith M. al. they have all been deceived hitherto; to the great impunity of horrible witches. Wherein he opposeth his folly against God and his church, against the truth, and against all possibility. But surely is almost incredible, how imagination shall abuse such as a•••• subject unto melancholy; so as they shall beleeve they see, hear, and do that, which never was nor shall be; as is partly declared, if you read Galen de locis affectis, and may more

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plainly appear also if you read Aristotle De somnio.* 1.2

And thereof S. Agustine saith well, that he is too much a fool and a block∣head, that supposeth those things to be done indeed, and corporally, which are by such persons phantastically imagined: which phantasticall il∣lusions do as well agree and accord (as Algerus saith) with magicall de∣ceipts, as the verity accompanieth divine holinesse.

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