The Damned Art of Witchcraft, Table of contents
A Table of the Contents.
The entrance into the Discourse. Pag. 1.
CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Witchcraft in generall.
That VVitchcraft is an Art. 4
That VVitchcraft is a wicked Art. 7
The ende of VVitchraft: To worke wonders. 8
The grounds of working wonders, discontentment and Curiositie. 9
That wonders are wrought by Satans assistance. 12
The sorts of wonders.
True wonders wrought onelyonly by God. 13, 14
Ly…g wonders wrought by Satan and his instruments. 18
That Satan is able to doe extraordinarie works by the helpe of Nature. 19
The sorts of Lying wonders. 22
1. Illusions, of the
Senses. 22
Minde. 22
2. Reall workes. 27
That Satan cannot change one creature into another. 33
Gods Permission of the practises of Witchcraft.
Why he permitteth them? 38
Satan cannot go beyond his permission. 39
CHAP. II. Of the Ground of all the practises of Witchcraft.
That there is a league betweene Satan and the Witch. 42
This League is twofold.
Expresse or open. 47
Secret; and the degree, thereof. 51
CHAP. III. Of the Parts of Witchcraft, and first of Diuination.
How Satan beeing a creature, reuealeth things to come. 56
Diuination by meanes, which are the true creatures of God▪ As,
By the flying and noise of Birdes. 66
By the Intralls of Beasts. 67
By the starres called Iudiciarie Astrologie. 73
That Predictions by the Starres are vnlawfull. 75. 86
Of the Obseruation of the Signe. 88
Of the choise and obseruation of daies. 91
By Dreames;
Diuine. 93
Naturall. 95
Diabolicall. 97
Notes of Difference to know them each from other. 100
By Lots.
Diuination by counterfeit meanes; N…cromancie. 107
Whether that which was raised by the Witch of Endor, was true Samuel, or no? 109
Diuination without meanes; by immediate assistance of a familiar Spirit. 121
Practised two waies.
1. When the spirit is within the Witch. 122
2. When he is out of the Witch. 123
The Difference betweene Traunces diuine and diabolicall. 124
CHAP. IV. Of working Witchcraft.
The parts of it.
Inchantment; What it is. 127
What a Charme is. 130
Whether the Charme be in it selfe effectual to worke wonders. 133
Particular practises referred to Inchantment. 148
Iugling: consisting in delusion and sleight. 157
That the wonders done by the Sorcerers of Egypt befor… Pharaoh, were lrgling sleights, and not true and reall works. 160
CHAP. V. Of Witches.
What a Witch is. 167
How many Sorts of Witches. 173
The bad Witch. 173
The good Witch the worser of the two. 174
That the word: foreign vsed by the 70. signifies a Witch. 178.
CHAP. VI. Of the punishment of Witches.
Why Witches are and ought to be punished with Death. 182
CHAP. VII. The Application of the Doctrine of Witchcraft to the present times.
Here foure Points are handled.
I. Whether the Witches of our times… be the same with those, which are condemned by this Law of M…ses. 186
Reasons proouing that they are. 186
Allegations to the contrarie answered. 188. 194. &c.
II. How we may be able in these daies to discerne and discouer a Witch. 199
The Meanes of Discouerie two: 200
1. Examination, vponupon Presumptions. …00
2. Conuiction vponupon proofes
lesse sufficient: 205
more sufficient. 211
The causes mouing Satan to further their discouerie. 215
Why all Witches are not speedily detected by Satans meanes. 216, 217
III. What Remedie may be vsed to preuent or cure the hurts of Witchcraft. 219
Remedies of two Sorts.
Lawfull, either preseruatiue or restoratiue. 219
Preseruatiue concerning Persons. 219
Whether the child of God may be bewitched or no? 222
Concerning places of abode. 224
Restoratiue. How whole countries may be cured. 227
How particular persons may be cured. 229
False and vnlawfull Remedies prescribed by the Church of Rome.
Generall. The gift of casting out of Deuills. 232
That there is no such gift in the church, since the daies of the Apostles. 232
Partic…r, siue.
The name Iesus. 239
The vse of Saints Reliques. 241
The Signe of the Grosse. 243
Hallowing of Creatures. 244
Exorcismes. 245
IV. Whether the witches of our times are to be punished with death, and that by vertue of this Law of Moses? 246
Reasons proouing that they ought. 247
Obiections answered. 251