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.

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Title
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.
Author
Scot, Reginald, 1538?-1599.
Publication
London :: Printed for Andrew Clark ...,
1665.
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Subject terms
Witchcraft.
Magic.
Demonology.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62397.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A62397.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.

Pages

CHAP. XXXIV.

The seven Reasons, why some are not rid of the Devil with all their Popish Conjurations; why there were no Conjurors in the Primitive Church; and why the Devil is not so soon cast out of the bewitched as of the possessed.

THe reason why some are not remedied for all their Conjurations, the [unspec 1] Papists say is for seven causes: First, For that the faith of the standers [unspec 2] by is naught: Secondly, For that theirs that present the party is no [unspec 3] better: Thirdly, Because of the sins of the bewitched: Fourthly, For the negle∣cting [unspec 4] of meet remedies: Fifthly, For the reverence of virtues going out into others: [unspec 5]

Page 268

[unspec 6] Sixthly, For the Purgation: Seventhly, For the merit of the party bewitched. And [unspec 7] lo, the first four are proved by Matthew the 7. and Mark the 4. when one pre∣sented his Son,* 1.1 and the multitude wanted faith, and the Father said, Lord help my incredulity, or unbelief. Whereupon was said, Oh faithless and perverse gene∣ration, how long shall I be with you? and where these words were written, And Jesus rebuked him, &c. that is to say, say they, the possessed or bewitched for his sins: For by the neglect of due remedies it appeareth that there were not with Christ good and perfect men: For the pillars of the faith, to wit, Peter, James and John were absent. Neither was there fasting and praying, without the which that kind of Devils could not be cast out. For the fourth point, to wit, the fault of the Exorcist in faith may appear, for that afterwards the Disciples asked the cause of their impotency therein: And Jesus answered, it was for their incredulity, saying, Thut if they had as much faith as a grain of mustard seed, they should move mountains, &c. The fift is proved by Vitas Pa∣trum, the lives of the Fathers, where it appeareth that S. Anthony could not do that cure, when his Scholar Paul could do it, and did it. For the proof of the sixth excuse it is said, that though the fault be taken away thereby, yet it followeth not that alwayes the punishment is released. Last of all, it is said, That it is possible that the Devil was not conjured out of the party before Bap∣tism by the Exorcist; or the midwife hath not baptized him well, but omitted some part of the Sacrament. If any object, There was no Exorcist in the primi∣tive Church;* 1.2 It is answered, That the Church cannot now erre. And S. Gregory would never have instituted it in vain. And it is a general rule, that who or what∣soever is newly exorcised, must be rebaptized, as also such as walk or talk in their sleep; for (say they) call them by their names, and presently they wake, or fall if they climb; whereby it is gathered that they are not truly name in Baptism. Item, they say, It is somewhat more difficult to conjure the Devil out of one bewitched, then out of one possessed; because in the bewitched he is double; in the other single. They have a hundred such beggerly, foolish and frivolous notes in this behalf.

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