Discourse of the Subtle Practices of Devils, Chapter 3
That there be 8. sortes of Witches and practisers of deuilish art, mentioned, Deuter. 18. whose names and their interpretation do here follow. The 3. Chapter.
THer are no doubt a thousand waies differing eueryevery one from the rest in one circumstance or other, vnderunder which Satan doth hide and couer his craft and deadly poyson. But yet the holy Ghost to warne al men to beware, doth mention onelyonly 8. sortes, vnderunder which no doubt hee comprehendeth all other: for there bee other names in the Scriptures, but yet such as do note in the Egyptian and Chaldean tong, those that are the same with some of these. I suppose that this one reason may suffice for to proue, that vnderunder eight names all are comprehended, because that here is a general matter dealt in. For the Lord shewing that those gentils caused their children to passe through the fire doth by the trope synecdoche of the part for the whole, vnderstand all that false worship and idolatrie into which they were blindly led and seduced. Then hee nameth who they were, whose helpe Satan did vse as chiefe instrumentes to seduce withall. And lastly agaynst all these hee doth oppose the true Prophet, whom hee would raise vp from tyme to tyme, vntounto his people, at whose mouth they were to learne his holy wil and the true and acceptable worship.
Now then let vsus come vntounto the names by which those euill people are named by the holy ghost in the Hebrew tong, for their interpretation, so farre as wee may attayne, wil bring some light hereunto.
The most of them be set down in the forme of participles. The first is called Kosem Kesamim, that is, one which deuia…th by diuinations: the latter word is added for to distinguish, because the deuining was more general then by diuinations, as appeareth by that speech which Saul vsed vntounto the witch, when hee requested her to deuine by her spirite, and to bring vp him whom he should name. The word is somtime vsed in good part For in the third chapter of Esay, God doth threten for a plague that he wil take away Kosem. And king Solomon Prou. 16. doth commend Kesem, that is diuination in the lippes of the king, which should guide him in iudgement. For in those places, Kosem is put for a man of excellent and rare giftes for gouernment. In other places of the holy Scriptures, where it is taken in euill part, it is put for false prophets which with their lying and vaine diuinations did seduce the people. TheseIcch …3. 6▪ Mich. 3. did sometyme deuise lies: sometyme they did dreame dreams, which they followed and propounded to the people, as if they had receaued them from God, for God did vse that as one way to reueale himselfe to his seruants, when as in deed they were in these diuiners but the vanities of their owne hartes, and illusions of vncleane spirites which alwaies counterfait the holy spirite of God. Sometyme the deuill did inspire them, and shew them visions, as if he had bene the holy Ghost, and made them vtter his wares vnderunder the name of God. This matter is is sufficiently proued by the history which is written 1 Reg. 22 for there it is shewed, that to the end king Ahab might bee seduced and goe vp to Ramoth Gyliad vntounto battaile, a deuill hath power giuen him to be a lying spirite in the mouth of the 400 false prophets which were Ahabs. Diuers thinges are in that place set forth to the reach of our capacity, but this is clere what effect it wrought, for both the Prophets and Ahab were …eceiued. Sometyme the Lord himselfe did speake vntounto Kosem, though we neuer read that any true Prophet was so called but sorcerers, which did fetch answers & diuinations from the deuil, whom they tooke to be God, hee did so cunningly handle the matter. But wee do not reade in the holy Scripture of any moe but one sorcerer, whom the Lord spake vntounto. And that was Balaam, for he is called Kosem Ios. 13. ver. 22 which name sheweth that hee was no Prophet of the Lord. hee was accustomed to fetch answers from the Deuill, why els did hee will those that were sent from the King to stay all night, to see what answere hee should hauehave? It is sayd afterward, that he went Likkath Kesamim, that is, to meet with diuinations. A thing which hee was accustomed vntounto: but at this tyme God himselfe did speake vntounto him.
The second is called Megnonen, from whence this name was deriued, none can for certainty affirme, for it may come Gnun, whereof commeth Gnonah, which signifyeth a set tyme for any purpose. It may also as well bee deriued from Gnanan, which is a clowd. Of whether of them it commeth, it is vsually taken for such as did practise Indiciarie Astrologie, which from the course of the heauens, and the stars, did take vponupon them to foreshew warres, pestilences, sedicions, treasons, and the death of great Princes. Moreouer they did teach the fit and prosperous times for to buy or to sel: to iourney by Sea or by Lande, to make peace, to vndertake warre, or to marry. These also did take vponupon them to shew vntounto euer man (so that they did know the instant of his byrth) whether he were borne vnderunder a lucky or an vnlucky planet. What vertue or what vice he should be giuen vntounto: whether he should be rich or poore, learned. or vnlearned, what manner of death hee should dye. Agaynst these God did inuey by his Prophets, declaring their vanity, accompting them among the witches and sorcerers. Their errors are very vyle and abhominable by which they did seduce the blynd. Wee may see how the Lord doth speake of them Iesay chapter 47. ver. 15. where hee calleth them Hobere schammaim, that is, obseruers of the Heauens, and Chozim baccahochabim, gazers vppon the Starres.
It is not the mynde of the Lord to condemne the obseruing and beholding of the course of the Heauens, and the Starres: for they set foorth the great glory of the Creator, as those arePsalm 8. Psalm 19▪ much to blame, which do not diligently behold them, to be stirred vp vntounto admiration & worshipping of the great God. But those Astrologians did behold them aiuisse, ascribing all good thinges vntounto them, which are peculier vntounto God, like wise the euil thinges which are from the deuil, and from the corrupted nature of man by original sinne. Yea they tye the prouidence of God vntounto the Starres. For if there bee any sound vertue in a man, it is of grace through fayth, and not from the Starres, drookennes, adultery, murther, disobedience, cruelty, and such like are of the Deuill, and from the nature of man by him corrupted in the fall of Adam. If a man should aske these vayne fooles whether the nature of the starres bee changed since mans fall, what will they answere? for this they must needes confesse, that if the Starres bee the cause and fountaine of vice in men, then they bee either changed from their first creation from good into euill, or else that God created the cause and fountayne of euill. And so as they committe vile sacrilege on the one side, when they make the starres the bestowers of vertues, lykewise on the other side they fall into horrible blasphemie when they make God the creator of the cause of euil. The holy Scriptures do teach, that vice and vncleannes is in vsus from our sinfull parentes, and that the Deuill brought it in and doth increase the same: famins, pestilences, and cruell warres are sent by the wrath of God for sinne. The wise Astrologians tell vsus of this and that coniunction of planets, which wil cause tyrants to rage, frendes to be false one to an other, women will bee disobedient to their husbandes: these thinges in deede come much to passe, and folish people beleue that the Astrologians did foresee it by the Starres. If men did prosper, it was ascribed vntounto that lucky planet vnderunder which they were borne. In aduersity they blamed the Starres, warres, pestilences, and famins being thought to come from them, men neuer consider their sinnes which hauehave bene the cause of Gods indignation (for those thinges hee sendeth as the roddes and scourges of his wrath) but are led into a further mischiefe: for … they f…ll to worship the host of Heauen. And as the Lord sayth, Ierem. 10. They feare the signes of Heauen. For this is mans nature, that where hee is perswaded that there is the power to bring prosperity and aduersitye, there will hee woorship. In respect therefore of this, the Astrologians are litle better then witches. For the deuill doth seduce by them. Some will exclaime that wee do now condemne the excellent and noble skill of Astronomie. But that is nothing so. For it is a precious gift which God hath giuen vntounto men, wherby they are able to take view of his works which are so high aboue them. Men do behold goodly things so sone as they cast their eies vponupon the heauens. But such as hauehave the skill of Astronomie doe behold a great deale more. All men do see a glorious trimme worke, but yet a far off. Whereas the Astronomers are after a sort caried vp hard to it, and see those things which common sense doth not attaine. It is verifyed vppon all which the Prophet sayth: the heauens declare the glory of God. For what minde is so blunt, but doth conceiue that the diuine power is great, and glorious, which made, set in order, and susteineth such a worke? The rudest sort do find that the course of the Sunne and the Mone do order the dayes, and the nightes, moneths, and yeares, Winter and Sommer? Who perceiueth not what great power the Sunne hath with his cherishing heate to cause thinges to grow? the Mone beareth a great sway in the waters. Diuers other thinges there be which are manifest to the simple. But how farre beyond al these goe the learned Astronomers, which do come nigh to gather the distance, and withall the wonderfull greatnes of the celestiall bodies. and their incomprehensible swiftnesse? incomprehensible I say vntounto man. When from these they turne their cies towardes the Creator, How can they but bee amazed at the consideration of his greatnes? they see the seuerall courses of planets, and their motions, and the same fixed by an …changeable decree: how can they cease wondring at the wisedome of God, who hath so skilfully fashioned them all? that which is secrete vntounto others, as the influences & powers, is apparant in some measure vntounto them. Mens death eather for the time or for the maner is not subiect to the stares: much lesse vertue or vice … ingendred in mens myndes by them. The Astronomers do very grosly erre in these predictions about windes & showrs: but yet no doubt there bee many thinges which depend much vponupon the course of the heauens: which is no derogation to the prouidence of God, who hath ordayned, and doth vse them as instruments for the same. Great operations in the bodies of men and beasts, as al skilful phisitions do find, come from the planets. And no doubt the deuil tooke occasion hereby for to lead men further in these thinges then they should hauehave gone. The third is called Menachesh. Nachash signifyeth to coniecture, from whence the same is deriued. Laban when he intreated Iacob to abide still with him, doth vse that woord. I hauehave (saith he) coniectured, or found by experiments that God hath blessed me for thy sake. For hee felt that his cattle did increaseGen. 30. and thriue vnderunder his hand. Ioseph▪ when hee had caused his siluer cup to be put into the sacke of his brother Beniamin, and vponupon search being found in the same, speaketh after the same maner: and sayth he did deuine or coniecture by that cup what manner of men they were. It seemeth that the word was vsed indifferently, and often times taken in good part. When it is taken in euill part, it semeth to note such as in Latine are called Augures: A kind of sooth sayiers, which did coniecture and prophesie by the voices, and by the flying of Birdes by the intrals of beasts, & other like obseruations. These were common among the heathē, & had in great estimation. For the wiser sort did beleeue that the Gods (as they vse to say) did vse the tonges of birdes as theire interpreters, to make thinges knowen vntounto men. The like for the flying of birds, which they did obserue when they went about any matter. Hereupon some were accompted luckie and some vnlucky birds. And how the deuil did play to del… men by the intrals of beasts, who knoweth? the thing is not now in practise: but yet some reliques & dregs of this kind of witch craft (if I may so cal it) do remaine among vsus. For some wil gather by the chattring of pyes, that they shal hauehave gestes come vntounto them. The rauen he sitteth vponupon the steeple and cryeth: which way doth he looke sayth one, from thence ye shal hauehave an eie ere it be long. Another goeth abrode early in the morning, & a hare crosseth his way: a very vnlucky signe he taketh it to be, and looketh not to speede well that day. Frends meet together & make mery: some one at vnwares doth turn down the salt: the man or the woman towards whom it falleth, doth blush and take litle comfort of the dainty banquet. For that is taken to be a grieuous euil sign of mishap that will follow. Heauy newes is brought vntounto some, that her father, or her mother, or her brother is dead: I did euen looke for such a matter (saith she) for my nose this day did sodainly break forth a bleeding. Thus hath the deuill crept into the mindes of vnbeleeuing people, and causeth them to turne their eies from God. These things must we condemne, but we must take heed that we do not withal disalow those things which are to be approued. For no doubt, as we see by experience, fowls & beasts do foreshew some things, but yet by a natural cause. The goose and the ducke, & diuers other water fowles, do diue and wash them and make a great sturre against raine. The crow he cryeth otherwise then ordinary. Other fowles there be, which do flocke together and come vp from the sea, when a cold blast is toward. The cow, though shee bee not very nimble, nor taketh great pride in her running, yet set…eth vp her taile, & about shee goeth the fields. The litle gnat foundeth her trompet & giueth warning of a shower. What shall wee say to these & a number such like? that they be as the heathen said the interprters of the gods: no verely, but there is a natural cause, and that is this: the disposition of the ayre is changed, & that do these fowles & beasts feel in their bodies, which maketh them so to deale, that ther is such a change in the disposition of the aire, though common sense in men, do not perceiue it, yet many things do shew. What maketh the salt to bee wet, but that the moysture of the ayre doth dissolue it? what maketh the marble stone to sweat against raine, but euen the moisture of the aire which it draweth to it? what maketh the soot to fal downe by lumps & gobs out of the chimney, but the moist ayre against rayne doth loosen it? If any man wil yet doubt how the sowls or beasts should feele the change of the ayre in their bodies: hee may see it is not a thing strange. For a man whose arme or his leg hath bene broken, or that hath had some mayme or sore bruse in his bodye, doth feel a great ache against rayne: this doth come of the alteration of the air. And thus wee see it behoueth men to discerne betweene such things as hauehave a natural cause, & therby do after a sort foreshew things: & those which hauehave no cause in nature, but are to be reiected. The 4 is called, Mechashshepha. It is deriued from Cashaph, which is found in the holy scriptures, & that is 2 cron. 33. 6. what the word doth properly signify, or from whence it is drawen, can no man tel. More then this, that it is vsed for a kind of witches & sorcerers. Some do imagine that it was such a one as did deale, not by the deuil, but by poison only, so that in their opinion, where it is translated, thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue Ex. 22. It should be more fitly said, thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to liue. But this is of ignorance, for the matter is far otherwise, as shalbe shewed: their opinion is grounded vponupon the greeke translation, which is asscribed vntounto the 70 interpreters: for they do translate this word Mechashshepha Pharmacous, which say they do signify such as did make & vse poison. The first error is in this, that they consider not that Pharmas▪ are as wel good confections and holsom medicines, as poisons: this is manifest that witches do take vponupon them to deale with medicines & confections which they vse together with their charmes: they make diuers ointmentes, which satan doth vse to delude them withall. He teacheth them also to make poisons: whervpon this is cleere that the greeke woord Pharmakeia is vsed as a generall name for witchcraft & sorcery, as we may se in diuers places of the new testament. S. Paul. Gal. 5. reciting the works of the flesh vseth that word for witchcraft. Babilon is charged that she had seduced the nations by her witchcraft: wheras in deed that word is vsed. But if any man shall say these profes are weake, and do not make the matter so clere as to be out of all controuersie, then let them consider a second error in those which hold opinion, that Mechashshepha, was one which dealt only with poison, & not by the deuil: for howsoeuer the signification of the wordcan not be found, yet we find plainly expressed in the scriptures what this kind of witch did. In the 2 chap. of Dan. Nabuchadnezer among others whom hee would hauehave to interprete his dreame, sendeth also for Mechashshephim. If these were poisoners what should they do about such a busines? we see that among the Chaldeans, & euen in the kings court, they were had in great estimation, as wise men, & interpreters of secrets. If either the name it selfe had signifyed, or their practise shewed them to be poisoners, how could they hauehave bin esteemed? Is any man so …bsurd as to thinke that kinges would take poisoners for their chief wise men? Moses doth report that when Aaron had cast downe his staffe before the R. of Egypt, & it was turned into a serpent, he sent for his wise men, and his enchauntrrs and they did the like, For eueryevery man cast downe his staffe before Pharaoh, and they were turned into serpents. These enchaunters which made the appearance of serpentes, and of frogges, & of turning water into blood, are first in that place called Mechashshephim, and then Chartummim: what shall wee say then, that the king of Egypt called for poisoners, and that they were indeede but poisoners that wrought such feats before him? I suppose this is plaine inough vntounto al that will not wilfully bend themselues to cauill, for to proue that Mechashshepha is not a poisoner, but a witch. This kinde is that which I mynd chiefly to speake off, with some that follow and therefore in this place I do omit to speake further.
The 5 is called Chober chabar, which is one that doth enchaunt by enchauntment. Chabar doth signify to associat and ioyne together: this enchaunter as it seemeth is so called of the society which he hath with the deuil. Lacha…h semeth to be the same: for they are put both for one Psal. 58. 4 And this latter word doth signify to whisper. For Chober had his charme of words and sentences, which he did whisper: they tooke vppon thē to do many things by their charms: but the holy scriptures do mention but one. And that is of snakes & serpentes which they did charm. From hence the prophet Dauid fetcheth a cō parison Psal. 58. by which he sheweth that ther is no good coū sel, though it be geuen by most excellent men, which can recouer the wicked frō their vngodlines. But they stop their eares against it, or it doth not sincke into them: this his comparison is in the▪ word…, pethen which he vseth, is not the adder, but the basiliske or some kind of exceding venimous serpent which stoppeth his eares, and wil not heare the voice of the charmer though he were a most skilful enchanter. Solomon giuing instructionEccl. 10. how a man is to appease the wrath of the ruler, doth bring a comparison also frō hence to admonish a man that hath wisedome to vse it so in this matter, of asswaging the anger of the prince, that it com not to late. Thus he speaketh, if ye serpēt bite where ther is no charm, what profit is there to him that is lord of y• tong? he calleth there the lord or master of y• tong, not as it is cōmonly taken, a babler, but he that had skil to vse his tong by charms as enchaūtments: which came to late & could stand him in no stead after the serpent had stong him & so the wisdom which is in a man may come to late. The Schoel ob, which is as much as to say, one which enquireth, … Ob, sometyme bagnalath Ob, one that possesseth Ob. And somtyme it is sayd, the man or the woman in whom there is Ob, as Liuit. I Sam. 2820. Ob is vsed for a bottle, or some hollow vessell. But by these places which I hauehave cited it is manifest that the witch & Ob are distinguished: for ye witch is not called Ob, but enquireth at Ob: & is sayd to possesse Ob: wherby wee may see that the deuil was called Ob: for what cause I know not, but it is supposed, because hee did speak with a hollow voice, as it were out of a tub or a botle, … as it is sayd, Thy voice shall bee likeEsay. 29. Ob out of the ground: this same kind is thought of the most learned to be that deuil which the Gretians called Python. S. Luke doth report Act. 16. that at Philippos there was a mayd which had a deuil in her whom he calleth a spirite of Pytho: & this maid did deuine, & brought great gayne to her maysters thereby. The oracles of the heathen in old time, were frō such. And of this we are also to speake more afterward: but I take it a thing very manifest, that if Pytho were only a deuil which spake out of a mayde, as this in the Acts, & the … …llae were maids for the deuil which fayned himselfe to bee a great God▪ seemed yt it must be a virgin preest out of whō he must speake then Ob was more general. For he did not alwayes speak out of the witch, nether did they alwayes demaund to know y• matter of him, but he was sent to fetch vp the soule of him, whom ye party would speak withal, as appeareth by the words of Saul For he biddeth her deuine by Ob, & fetch vp him whō he should name. The 7. is named Iiddegnoni. Iadang is to know, from whēce this word semeth to be deriued. For such as deale with deuils do know many things, which other men can not know so far as God doth permit vntounto the deuil to reueale: this kind is commonly ioyned with Shoel Ob, and therefore thought to differ litle from the same. For they both wrought with the Deuill as doe the Witches, and also the Coniurers.
Either of them no doubt may verie wel set forth both our Witches and Coniurers, though there seem to be great difference betweene them, which is no more in déed, but the craft of the deuill. His auntient manner of practise with Shoelob and Iiddegnoni hauehave bene detected, and therefore he hath turned thinges into an other forme, but the matter is the same. Coniurer goeth one way to work, & the witch an other, the one as it seemeth for on purpose, the other for an other, but yet the cheife end is all one. The eyght and last is called Doresh el hammethim, that is as much as to say, on which enquireth at the dead. This kind of witch was called of the grecians Necromantes, that is one which vseth diuinations by the dead. And the art it self was called Necromancia. I sée not how this could much differ frō Bagnalath Ob, which tooke vponupon her to fetch vp the soules of dead men. These were so called not that they were able by any meanes to featch vp the soule of any man either good or bad. But the deuill feined him selfe to be the soule of such or such a body, and handled the matter so that they could perceiue none other. Thus much may suffice for the names vsed in the holy scriptures. There be other, but no doubt the same indeed with some of these. Now to proceed forward, and to shew what any of these did or could doe by soceries, it is requisit in the first place to speake of the cheife doe…, which is the deuill.