Discourse of the Subtle Practices of Devils, Chapter 8
No man nor woman can giuegive power vntounto the deuill to doe hurt, neither doth their sending authorize him, but he vseth them onelyonly for a colour. The 8. Chapter.
HItherto wee hauehave declared in some measure the nature and power of Deuils. Now it resteth that wee speake somewhat touching those instrumentes whome they vse for the practise of their wicked deceipt. For the vncleane spirits are the doers in sorceries and witchcraftes: men and women are but instrumentes. It is the common opinion among the blind ignorant people, that the cause and the procuring of harme by witchcraft, proceedeth from the Witch, & that either the Deuill could or would do nothing vnlesse he were sent by her.
How absurd this conceite is, shall easily appeare if wee weigh these fewe rules. First al men that hauehave the vse but of naturall reason, must needes confesse that witchcraft and coniuration are to bee nombred among these filthy sinnes which are most abominable and odious in Gods sight, this is also as cleere, that the fowlest sinnes do spring and flow from the moste vncleane Fountaine, though men be corrupt by nature and very vile, yet the Deuils are muche worse. They bee the authours and deuisers of sinne, they drawe men into it, the Deuill then hath deuised witcherye, coniuration, and Enchauntment. The Deuill allure th and seduceth men to become Witches, Coniurors, or Enchaunters, he seemeth to be a seruaunt vntounto the Witch, but shee is his seruaunt. The coniurors suppose that they bind him by the power of coniuration in which they reckon vp the names of God, but he is voluntarily bound, or doth indeed but faine himselfe to be bound▪ for shal we thinke y• he would deuise & teach an art wherby he should indeed be bound? Or can any man be so blockish as to imagine that god wil in deed bind him by his power at the will of a Coniuror. Againe we may not thinke that he which is more forward vntounto euill and mischiefe, is set on and procured by the lesse forwarde vntounto euill, for that is preposterouse, then muste wee graunt that the Witch doth not prouoke forward the Deuill, but the Deuill bearing swaye in the heart setteth hir on. Hee sayth shee sent him, but from whence commeth it that she sent him? Did he moue hir … to do so? He doth harme, shall we suppose that she gaue him commissiō & power▪ let it be examined, first we confesse that god ruleth all by his prouidēce. Next this is taught vsus also in the holy scriptures, y• the deuillEphe…. 2. …. Cor 4. ruleth with power in the children of disobedience, hee is the god of ye world, sinful men are by a righteous bengance of god subiect vntounto him, what shal we say then, can y• lesse giuegive power vntounto the greater, shall a silly old creature scarse able to bite a …ust in sūder, giuegive autortiy & power to y• prince of darknes? is any man so simple to beleeue that the Deuill can hauehave power giuen him but from a greater then himselfe? or when hee hath liberty, wil hee not execute his power vnlesse some witch send him? what is a witch then? what is a coniurer? what is an enchaunter? surely the very vassals and bondslaues of the deuil: they hauehave no power to do, or to authorize him to do any thing. But hee being the minister & executioner of Gods vengeance▪ whē God giueth him power he vseth them as his instrumēts: not to receiue helpe by them (for when can they helpe him? but onelyonly for a colour, that he may draw multitudes into sinne by meanes, as indeede hee doth. This shall appeare fully in that which followeth: and therefore I wil onelyonly touch it here by the way, and stand no longer about this point which is manifest ynough.