A Guide to Grand-jury Men, Book 2 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. The holy Scriptures do condemne all sorts of Witches.
THe distinctions of Witches into good and bad, is only according to the vse of speech amongst the people: for Witches are all bad, and condemned by God, not onelyonly for that they do hurt, but because they are Witches.
Yea such Witches God doth condemne, as abomination to him & to be rooted out, as men of all sorts both heretofore, and y…t now too many, are ouer fauorable vntounto: this is cleare and manifest many waies: as
1. By the words of the Law, where it is said, Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue: as if it had bine said, If thou shalt find one that is a Witch: though such an one as thou couldest bee contented to winke at, and to passe by (as people now doe such as be called with vsus, good Witches) yet shalt thou not suffer him or her to liue; no more then a bad Witch: If a Witch, then ought he or shee to die for the same.
II. By the examples of all recorded in the Scriptures, whom we find to be such kind of Witches, as got credit and estimation, louelove and liking (as good Witches doe, and not as the bad, hatred & ill will) with Potentates and great persons in the world, as did the M…gicians & Sorcerers with Pharaoh, Exo 7. & 8. Isa. 47 12. Ez…k …2.21. Dan 3.7.with Nab…chadnezar & B…lthazzar. As did … Simon Magus with … who was held to be the great power of God, Act. 8. likewise Elymas was with Sergius Paulus, and the Pythonisse with her masters,Act. 1…. Act. 16.
Such they were, as by great persons were sent for, as those in Egypt and Caldea. Such as they would make vse of, as Balak did of Balaam, Num 22. 2 King. 21.6. 1. Sam 28. Isa. ….19. Ier. 27.9. Leuit. 19.31. & 20.6. Isa. 19.3.as Manasseh did of Wizards, and as Saul did of the Witch of Endor. Such they were, as many of the people(as ours do too, to good witches) sought vntounto, inquired after, Ier. 27.9. resorted vntounto, yea and counselled one another to seeke vntounto, whom they heard and beleeued, as they did their false prophets. To these they had regard, and after these, as the Scripture speaketh, they went a whoring Such they were as were openly known among the heathen, as among the Egyptian…, Exo. 7. Ca…aa…te… Deu. 18.1…. P…ilistims. Isa. 2 6 & Caldeans, Dan. 2 & 5 & al… amongst the Israelites, as appeareth by their resorting to them, and yet these God vtterly condemned, howsoeuer men esteemed of them.
III. By all the meanes giuen vntounto them, by which these sorts are set forth, & rather such as be now held good Witches, then such as be held cursing and bad Witches.
1. Is Chosem, Deut. 18.10. 2. King. 17 17. which commeth of Chasam, Futura praedixit. a Diuiner foreshewing things to come. Such, people delighted in, and consulted with, Ier. 27. 9 Ezek. 21.26. Such an one was Balaam, …0.13.22.
2. Is Megnonen or Gnonen, Deu. 18.10. Gnanan, Nubem abduxit, this is called a Southsayer excontemplatione coeli, aut nubium, eorum que colore & motu aliquid praedicere: obseruator nubium: A gazer on the heauens, and from the Cloudes to foretell something. To these did the people giuegive eare, Ier. 27.9. and such an one was Manasseh.1. Chr. 33.6.
3. Is M…nachesh. Deu. 18.10. Of Nachash, explorauit, Scrutator, a searcher out, qui dies vel hor as explorat, & so coniectures and foretelleth. An Obseruer of times, to know when it is best to begin a businesse, as Hamans Witches did,Hest. 3.7. & 9.24. by casting lots before him.2. Chr. 33.6. Of this Manasseh also was guilty.
4. Is Mechashshepth, Deut. 18.10. Isa. 47.12. of Chaphash, Magiam exercuit, a Magician, one that can deceiue the eyesight, by making something appeare to the sight, otherwise then it is: Such Pharaoh called to him to oppose Moses, those two, Iannes and Iambres, of whom S. Paul speaketh: and hereof also was M…nasseh guilty, 2. Chron. 33.6.
5. Is Choreb, Deut. 18.11. of Chabar, consociatus est: an Inchanter, or Coniure…: one ioyned in league with another, as the Witch is with … Diuell: Such an one vsed ch…rmes to tame Serpents, Psal. …8.6. Many such were in Babylon, Isa. 47.9. This is the same that Lachash is, Eccl. 10.11. Incantatio. … Ob, Deut. 18.11. Leuit. 20.27. one which hath a spirit, in Hebrew is called Ob, which in him or her doe giuegive answer to such as come to inquire of them: such an o…e was the Witch of Endor, 1. Sam. 28, Quaeritè mihi mulierem; babentem Ob, or Pythonem: Such an …ue was …he Pythonesse, which brought her Masters much gaine, Act. 16. Such as hauehave this spirit within thē, make answer out of their belly, of things past, present and to come, to such …s come to enqu…re of them; their bodies being swolne like a bottle … or speaking low, as out of the ground, a whisperer, Isa. 29.4. and hereupon he or she is called Ventriloquus. foreign.To such the people had regard, Leu. 19.31. and incouraged one another thereto, Isa. 8.19.
7. Is Iidgnoni. Deut. 18.11. of Iadang, nouit, a Wizard, 1. Sa. 28.9. one also that can foretell things, and so called for his or her knowledge, as now wee terme a wiseman, such an one a wise man, or a wise woman. After this sort the people also sought, Leuit. 19 31. & …0.6.
8. Is Doreshel-hammathim, Deut. 18.11. Con…ulens mortuos, a Ne…romancer, one that consulteth with the dead, Isa. 8.19. to know what he would desire of them. To which perhaps may allude that supposed speaking of Diues, of o… rising from the dead to tell his brethren what they should doe, Luk 16.
9. A…e Ha…t…m, Isa. 19.3… o… At …udo, …uch as whisper with secret and … words, as our white Witches doe, in endeuouring to helpe man or beast. To these the Egyptians sought, as they did to their Idols, as the Prophet sheweth.Isa. 19.3. These are by vsus translated, Charmers.
10. Are Chartummim, Exo. 7.11. Some doe call them Iuglers, deceiuers, beguiling the sight: some hold them to bee casters of Natiuities,P. de Lo…er de spectri…, c. 12. Genethliaci; which tell people their fortune, by the time of their birth: and they are called Chartummim, from their making of circles, and Characters: being compounded of Cheret, calamus, a quill or pen, & Ataman, clausit, shut vp. These are onelyonly the names expressed in the Hebrew tongue, in all the old Testament, which set out rather good Witches, then these cursing bad Witches, which none can abide, but such as bee of their society.
In the new testament we find, onelyonly the word Magus, foreign. Artem magicā exe…cens.a Magician, Act. 8. The Septuagints translate the Hebrew words by diuers Greeke words,2. Chro. 33 …. Mich. 5.6. Leuit. 19.26. & 19.31. 1 Sam. 28.3, 9. to set out rather the good, thē bad witch. As Cledomizomenos from his same: another Apophthegnomenos for his short and sententious speaking:2 Kin. 21.6. another Ornithescopos, because hee foretold things by flying of birds: another Eggastromuthus, one speaking out of the belly: another Gnostes from knowledge, a Diuiner. So that all the names of Hebrew and Greeke in the old and new Testament, run vponupon such Witches, as the world doth follow after, rather then vponupon this hurting, and cursing, which I note not, as if these could doe no harme, but,
1. To shew how crosse God is, in his iudgement and condemnation of Witches, from the common course of men, who wholly, and only fly vponupon the blacke Witches, hunt them, imprison them, and hang them (as they deserue well) but they can passe by these white Witches, whom the holy Scriptures doe so decipher to vsus, and condemne. These they can countenance and maintaine: because these can satisfie their vaine curiosities, their inquisitiue natures, idle fantasies; yea and sometimes their mischieuous purposes: but the end of such courses will be bitter: let Saul and Manasseh bee a warning to all this kinde.
2. To manifest the bloudy malice of Satan in these latter times against mankinde, who hath stirred vp such cruel Witches, as bee wholly vponupon reuenge, tormenting men, and women, and their cattell, making a trade of killing and murthering, of which sort the Scriptures hardly giuegive an instance, except it bee in Balaam hyred to curse Gods people. It may be, others could and did mischiefe: but it cannot bee concluded, either from the instances of examples, or from their names, except, perhaps, somewhere the Septuagint do vse the word Pharmacos, which yet is vsed, as well in the better, as in the worse sense.
Let vsus therefore learne to follow the Lord, hate Witches, Wizards, Magicians, Southsayers, Fortune-tellers, Astrologians, Inchanters, Iuggling companions, dealing with Sorcerie and Witchcraft.
1. For the great dishonour offered to God by these hellish miscreants, in the entrance, in the practice, and end of their diuellish Arts.
2. In conscience to Gods commandement, vtterly forbidding to regard such, Leuit. 19.31. for it is spirituall whoredome, and defilement, Leuit. 20.6.
3. Because such as vsed them first, were Heathē, as Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistims… & Chaldeans: such as in Israel followed the heathenish customes, were wicked and vngodly: as Saul, who was a murtherer, 1. Sam. 22. a profane neglecter of Gods worship, 1. Chron. 13.3. and one whom God had forsaken had taken his spirit from, 1. Sa. 16.14. an euil spirit was vponupon him, to whom God vouchsafed no answer by sacred means, 1. Sam. 28.16. and therefore he fell to Witches. And what was Manasseh, but an Idolater, and an obseruer of times, & so fell to Witchery, and to such as had familiars? And the people which delighted in these, were haters of the true Teachers, and beleeued false prophets, Dreamers, and Diuiners, Ierem. 27.9. And with vsus, what are they which regard these sorts, but …ither superstitious Papists, or Neuterals, or Atheists?
4. The euill which in the end will ensue to such as hearken to these;Delrio, l. 6. pag. 1042. m…nit. 3. & 4 what got Saul by going to them? They may soothe vp for a time these vaine persons, but at length the Diuell wil pay them home: Examples abroad, and in Histories, and within our selues obserued, may terrifie all good Christians from seeking vntounto, and regarding of such. For it's plainly said, that the Lord setteth his face against such, to cut them off, Luk. 20.6. And if God be against them, what may they looke for in the end?