The discovery of witchcraft proving that the compacts and contracts of witches with devils and all infernal spirits or familiars are but erroneous novelties and imaginary conceptions : also discovering, how far their power extendeth in killing, tormenting, consuming, or curing the bodies of men, women, children, or animals by charms, philtres, periapts, pentacles, curses, and conjurations : wherein likewise the unchristian practices and inhumane dealings of searchers and witch-tryers upon aged, melancholly, and superstitious people, in extorting confessions by terrors and tortures, and in devising false marks and symptoms, are notably detected ... : in sixteen books / by Reginald Scot ... ; whereunto is added an excellent Discourse of the nature and substance of devils and spirits, in two books : the first by the aforesaid author, the second now added in this third edition ... conducing to the compleating of the whole work, with nine chapters at the beginning of the fifteenth [sic] book of The discovery.

CHAP. XXXI.

A Comparison between Popish Exorcists and other Conjurors; a Popish Conjuration pub∣lished by a great Doctor of the Romish Church; his rules and cautions.

I See no difference between these and Popish Conjurations; for they agree in order, words, and matter, differing in no circumstance, but that the Papists do it without shame openly, the other do it in hugger mugger se∣cretly. The Papists (I say) have Officers in this behalf, which are called Exor∣cists or Conjurors, and they look narrowly to other cosenours, as having got∣ten the upper hand over them. And because the Papists shall be without excuse in this behalf, and that the world may see their cosenage, impiety, and folly to be as great as the others, I will cite one Conjuration (of which sort I might cite a hundred) published by Jacobus de Chusa, a great Doctor of the Romish Church, which serveth to find out the cause of noise and spiritual rumbling in Houses, Churches, or Chappels, and to conjure walking Spirits; which evermore is knavery and cosenage in the highest degree. Mark the cosening device hereof, and confer the impiety with the others.

First (forsooth) he saith it is expedient to fast three days, and to celebrate a certain number of Masses, and to repeat the seven Penitential Psalms; then four or five Priests must be called to the place where the haunt or noise is, then a Can∣dle hallowed on Candlemas day must be lighted, and in the lighting thereof also must the seven Psalms be said, and the Gospel of St. John. Then there must be a Cross and a Censer with Frankinsense, and therewithal the place must be censed or perfumed, holy Water must be sprinkled, and a holy Stoal must be used, and (after divers other Ceremonies) a Prayer to God must be made, in manner and form following.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the knower of all secrets, which alwayes revealest all wholesome and profitable things to thy faithful children, and which sufferest a Spirit to shew himself in this place, we beseech thee for thy bitter Passion, &c vouchsafe to command this spirit, to reveal and signifie unto us thy servants, without our terrour or hurt, what he is, to thine honour, and to his comfort; In Nomine Patris, &c. And then proceed in these words: We beseech thee, for Christs sake, O thou spirit, that if there be any of us, or among us, whom thou wouldst answer, name him, or else manifest him by some sign. Is it Fryer P. or Doctor D. or Doctor Burc. or sir Feats, or sir John, or sir Ro∣bert? Et sic de caeteris circumstantibus. For it is well tryed (saith the gloss) he will not answer every one. If the Spirit make any sound of voyce, or knock∣ing at the naming of any one, he is the Cosenour (the Conjuror I would say) that must have the charge of this Conjuration or Examination. And these for∣sooth

must be the interrogatories, to wit; Whose Soul art thou? Wherefore camest thou? What wouldst thou have? Wantest thou any Suffrages, Masses, or Alms? How many Masses will serve thy turn! three, six, ten, twenty, thirty, &c? By what Priest? Must he be religious or secular? Wilt thou have any Fasts? What? How many? How great? And by what persons? Among Hospitals, Lepers, or Beggars? What shall be the sign of thy perfect deliverance? Wherefore liest thou in Purgatory? and such like. This must be done in the night.

If there appear no sign at this hour, it must be deferred until another hour. Holy water must be left in the place. There is no fear (they say) that such a Spirit will hurt the Conjuror; for he can sin no more, as being in the mean state between good and evil, and as yet in the state of satisfaction. If the Spirit do hurt, then it is a damned soul, and not an elect. Every man may not be present hereat, specially such as be weak of complexion. They appear in divers manners, not alwayes in body or bodily shape (as it is read in the life of S. Martine, that the Devil did) but sometimes invisible, as only by sound, voyce, or noise. Thus far Jacobus de Chusa.

But because you shall see that these be not empty words, nor slanders; but that in truth such things are commonly put in practice in the Romish Church, I will here set down an instance, lately and truly, though lewdly performed; and the same in effect as followeth.

Notes

• Jac de Chusa in lib. de a••pa∣ritionib. quo∣rundam spiri∣tuum.
• Observations for the exorci∣sing Priest.
• Memorandum that he must be the veriest Knave or Fool in all the company.
• The spirits are not so cunning by day as by night.
• For so they might be be∣wrayed.

  For so the co∣senage may be best handled.