Satan Transformed Into an Angel of Light, Book 1 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
First prooueth that there are Witches, and that
1 By testimonie from the Word.
2 By testimony from all antiquitie.
3 By sound Reason, and that drawne:
First from the Power, Iustice and Wisedome of the Lord.
Secondly from the Pride and Policie of Satan.
Thirdly from the damnable estate and desperate condition and corruption of man.
Secondly it reprooueth;
1 Those that impute this to melancholy.
2 The Atheist that denies Witchcraft.
3 That would hauehave all to be but Illusion.
4 That iustifie bad Witches.
5 And so answereth to all obiections that may bee iustly made against this Doctrine.
THat there are Witches; first, this appeareth by the testimonie of the Word, which witnesseth.
1 That there were such Sorcerers that preached this skill, as 1. Sam. 19. The Witch of Endor, & Simon Magus, Acts. 8. and Pythonesse in the Acts 19. &c.
2 The Iudgements of God are denounced against such by the Prophets, as Esay 44. 25. & 47. 12.
3 The Magistrates by seuere Lawes interdicted the practize of Witchcraft as Saul, 1. Sam. 10. 3. & 9.
4 The sentence of death is pronounced against this by the Law of God, as Exodus 22. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue.
Secondly, the whole streame of Antiquity also auoucheth the same.
As appeareth by that which is declared heereafter concerning the entertainement and practize of Sercerie: By all nations.
2 By the Lawes of each nation, against this Mysterie.
3 By the generall experience of all Ages wherein eyther through ignorance this wickednesse hath appeared in open face among the Gentiles, or else, for abuse of knowledge, euen hypocrites hauehave beene giuen vp to this Iudgement of Witchcraft, because they detaine the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse, and sacrifice to their Art, yea to Sathan himselfe, euen wherein they pretend to serue God, as appeareth afterward in the vse heereof.
This also is manifest by sound Reason and Induction.
And that from the Power, Wisedome and Iustice of God.
Gods Power is manifest; as his yeelding vp the mightiest to the power of Sathan, as Gods executioner, so in brideling Satan to hurt & cut where it pleaseth him, Iob 1 & 2. 2. Corin. 4. Matth. 8.
His Wisedome admirable in this: That giuing the wicked their desire for the satisfying of the flesh.Ps. 106. 25.
1 They are willingly giuen vp to submit their soules to the power of Satan, and so to be the executioners of their owne damnation.
2 And whereas Satan, if he should appeare in his owne likenes, would not so easily be intertained, could not do so conueniently the will of God, in deceiuing the wicked: yet beeing now disposed by the Lord of glory in this wise and glorious manner, that by the ministerie of men & women subiect to our infirmities: and therefore more likelie by reason of natures bonds, to preuaile with their like, Satan shal tender his seruice vntounto vsus; doth hee not conuey his poyson into our soules more easily? doth hee not preuaile more effectually to our ensnaring and destruction?
The Iustice of God shineth also most gloriously in this mysterie of Witchcraft.
As first, In making it a Punishment to such as will not obey the truth, that they might be deluded and ensnared thereby.
And so in sealing vp, in this strange & terrible affliction by Witchcraft, & the desperate couenant that is therein; euen eternall vengeance, and those intolerable paines of the damned, that the Atheist may be vtterly confounded, and the desperate sinner, may be vtterly without excuse: As preaching to the rebellious world, by these prophets of Satan the certaintie of their damnation, who refuse to embrace the glad tydings of their saluation from the Messengers of the Lord.
And is not the Iustice of God admirable heerein, that the wicked are now the choosers and executioners of their owne damnation, in beeing willingly ignorant of the trueth: In their best wisedome heaping vp teachers according to their owne lusts, purposely submitting themselues to these prophets of the diuell, that so they may be turned to their ineuitable condemnation?
Secondly, It is manifest from the Pride and Cunning of Satan.
Who although hee naturally hate God, yet in the Pride of his heart he seekes to imitate him in all his actions, that so he may more desperately execute his malice both against God in disgracing his prouidence, and against man in furthering his destruction. And therefore, as God hath his couenant with man: so will Satan hauehave a speciall couenant also with his seruants.
As the Lord hath his Ministers to execute his wrath vponupon the disobedient: namely, the Magistrate, so Sathan will hauehave his badde Witches to execute against the sonnes of men. Yea,
As the Lord hath his Prophets and faithfull ministers to relieue and comfort his distressed people: so Sathan will hauehave his good Witches, to minister helpe to such as seeke vntounto him, &c.
And as the wise and mercifull God, because wee are not able to heare him, if he should himself speak vntounto vsus, doeth therefore conuey his will into earthen vessells 2. Corinthians 4. 7. causing men, like our selues, subiect to the same infirmities with vsus, to deliuer his councell, and prepare vsus to the obedience thereof: euen so dealeth Sathan the god of this world, with the children of disobedience. That whereas by reason of Natures guilt and infirmitie, they could not endure his terrible and personall presence: therefore hee tendereth his will vntounto them, by certaine delightfull and Familiar charmes, yea by Witches his vassales insinuateth himselfe into vsus, colouring his presence and sleights by some shew of outward holinesse, as by abusing of holie Names, Prayers, Reliques, &c. that so hee may the better winne from vsus an approbation of his help; and so the more dangerously ensnare vsus in his cruell pawes.
Thirdly also this is manifest from the consideration of our owne cursed nature. And that not onelyonly because wee are Sathans slaues naturally, and so are led captiue at his will, euen to further our owne condemnation, and the condemnation of others:
But especially in regard of those Remaynders of originall goodnesse: As some naturall light, some conscience of good and euill, &c. whereby wee being vsually puffed vp, and so laboring to encrease these gifts: seeing wee know not the right meanes heereunto, namely, to seeke them of the Lord: Is it any maruell, if we fall to chaffer with Satan for the obtaining thereof? especially seeing hee will not faile to offer his helpe, and that vponupon very faire and seemingly equal termes?
Now if wee consider on the other side, that corruption wherewith we are infected euen from the mothers wombe. Two things there are herein that further this compact with Satan.
The one is, The earnest and vnsatiable desire to accomplish our lusts: which seeing we cannot compasse by lawfull meanes, will we sticke at any thing, though it be the hazard of the soule, to attaine our desires? Math. 16. 25. Especially, seeing as wee desire to commit sinne with greedinesse, so either for credite, wee would not be seene therein: and indeed it is Satans policy to blind the eies of our minds, that so walking in darkenes, we may not know whither we go, but euen like fooles be led to the Stockes, and oxen to the shambles: And hath not this Practise of Witch-craft many cunning sleights, and colours to hide and cloke sin, to illude and peruert our iudgemēts, that we may not discern whereabout we are? Consider to this end that which follows: & God giuegive vsus vnderstanding in all things.
Adde we hereunto, That as sin encreaseth and ripeneth to vengeance,Note. so naturall light by degrees is cleane peruerted and extinguished. And the bands of common honestie beeing wholy cast off and violated, the bridle is giuen to all desperate and presumptuous sins: and that the wicked may more securely reuell therein: religion is made a scorne of,Psal. 10. 5. and God is forgotten,Iob 21. 15. and the knowledge of his wayes vtterly reiected: whereby the Lord in iustice is prouoked to execute his fierce wrath, and to powre out the most bitter viall thereof vponupon the soules of the wicked, yeelding them vp wholly to the power of Sathan: whereby they are left to these desperate extremities, as to make reall couenants with him: to yeelde him vp their soules, and all at his deuotion; to consecrate themselues to his seruice and homage, and so to become spectacles heerein of the certainetie of damnation, for the confusion of the Atheist, that thinkes there is no hell, and the warning of the Christian, to auoyd the danger thereof.
3 And seeing it is the Iustice of Almightie God to punish extraordinarie and monstrous sinnes, with strange and vnwonted plagues. Therefore seeing the wicked cānot content them selues with common and naturall sins,Note. but must further deuise sins against nature,Rom. 1 25 26. as being iustly giuē vp hereto by the diuine Iustice, punishing their carnall Wisedome: in their strange and monstrous Idolatrie and Will-worship by those monstrous and vnnaturall Impieties: Is it not yet further iust with the Lord, to leaue them to be tormented by Satan, the god of this world, whom they hauehave consecrated themselues vntounto, and that with strange and fearefull conuulsions, and horrible tortures, likelie to rend the bodie from the soule, but that the mightie hand of GOD ouer-ruleth Sathan, and sustaineth Nature, to the further aduancing of his diuine Iustice and admirable power. And yet all this in shew by the ministerie of a poore, weake, and miserable woman,Note. to the increase of their rage, and confusion of carnall wisedome, to the nourishment of Infidelitie, and so to the sealing vp in these bodily torments of eternal vengeāce.
1 And therefore; as this reproueth such as seeme to elude all with a conceit of melancholy, Vse of c̄ uiction.as if these diuellish practises and combinations betwixt the Witch and Satan, were but fancies and vaine dreames of a melancholy braine: seeing the symptomes of melancholie doe no whit agree with the persons of these Witches.
2 As these, being fat, mery, delighting in cōpany, & all which are contrary where melancholy raignes: so this is also a Plaine condemnation of the Atheist of these Times, who doth therefore willingly entertaine this errour; That there are no Witches: that so he may therehence conclude to his soule, That there is no Hell, no Diuells, &c.
3 This reproueth those, that, because many things are done by the delusion of Satan, (as hath bin manifested heeretofore) do therefore conclude, that al is but Illusion, and so would illude the maine ground of Witchcraft, namely, that reall couenant that is betweene Sathan and the Witch, for the effecting of such things as on both sides are couenanted.
4 But especially, they are heere iustly to be taxed, that howsoeuer they will acknowledge the Badde Witch to worke with, and by Satan, because shee hurteth: yet at no hand will yeeld, that the Blesser and wise Witch (as they doe terme her) hath any thing to do with the diuell, by vertue of such compact: but rather conceiue that it is some extraordinarie gift of God, giuen to such speciall persons, whereby they hauehave power to dissolue the Witches of the diuel; seeing it is manifest, that such extraordinarie gifts now ceasing, and this being proper onelyonly to the Word, in the mouth of a skilfull and approoued good workeman to that end, If any such thing fall out: it necessarily proceedeth from Satans power, permitted iustly by the Lord, to preuaile thus with his dearest seruants, to deceiue and ensnare vnstable soules, that forsaking the God of their saluation, runne to Sathan for helpe for the bodie, to the destruction of the soule.
And therefore, howsoeuer Satan could without the ministerie of Witches, do happily as great hurt to the bodie, and therefore it may seeme, that to vse them were needlesse: yet seeing it is the soule that he principally hunts after; & so, by hurting the body, entendeth also the further ensnaring thereof. Hence is it, that he employeth these instruments, to accomplish his will by, not onelyonly ensnaring their soules, by satisfying their desires to hurt, and helpe whom they list: But hereby also endangering the soules of others.
Both those that are hurt, in prouoking them hereby, both to seeke for reuenge abroade, against the Witch: when as they should beginne at home to be auenged of their owne sins: as also to seek for remedy of their hurt by diuellish meanes: and so they vsually buy this helpe with the hazard of their soules.
And so also enthralling their soules yet more fearefully vntounto Sathan: In that receiuing help from such means as are tendered out of his schoole: heereby it comes to passe that Satan is adored, and aduaunced aboue all that is called God. The holie and lawfull meanes of helpe are reiected, and despised.
Ignorance and Atheisme is nourished in the world, Infidelitie and all excesse of sinne, maintained and increased, and so iniquitie ripened vntounto the day of vengeance. And yet.
If here the cunning of Sathan be to keepe these Witches poore, Why Witches are kept poor.and therefore it may seeme, that they should hauehave but a little list to follow this miserable trade: Obserue we wisely the admirable Iustice and Wisedome of Almightie God herein, both in ouer-ruling Satan, that hee shall not minister to the Witch according to her desire; that so she may be confounded in her dtsperate bargaine, that hath parted with her soule, for enioying of that whereof she is disappoynted: As also
Heereby the desires of the Witch being disappoynted, are more enflamed, and so eternall damnation hereby sealed vp vntounto her.
And withall, shee more abiected to the lust of Sathan, renewing her couenant, and multiplying her sacrifices, that shee may compasse her desires: That so beeing still kept short, and confounded in her expectation: shee may breake out into more desperate attempts to the ripening of sinne, and hastening of vengeance.
Which shall with greater confusion light vponupon her, in that being once arrested and conuicted by Authoritie: she shall find her master whom she hath serued, not onelyonly to be the meanes of her discouerie, and haling to Iudgement, (as heereafter shall be manifest;) but now he hath discouered her,Why Satan for forsaketh the Witch after that Authority hath seized on hir to forsake her vtterly (in regard of helping out of this brake;) that so shee may be yet further confounded, in her desperate choice, that hath forsaken a faithfull GOD, to serue such a maister, as will forsake her in her neede: and that to such a fearefull end, as heereby to sincke her in horrible despaire, and so to exclude her al hope of mercy and compassion from the Lord; and thereby to expose her vnauoydably to his mercilesse tyranny.
And to this end serueth further,Why the bad Witch cannot help what shee hath hurt. that the bad Witches power being so limited, as hauing hurt, shee cannot helpe againe; howsoeuer it may seeme to imply a unllotie in this Trade; or at least challenge the power and perfection of it; yet indeed this restraint of the bad Witches power, tendeth much to aduance the Mysterie of this iniquitie; as hereafter is made manifest, and so to make good the wisedome of this Art: Especially seeing this both for the present proues a great confusion to the Witches power, as also giues occasion of her discouerie from the Blesser, who in this case is sought to for helpe; and so detecting the bad Witch makes way for her riddance that her Maister Satan may hauehave more worke.
And howsoeuer when the Witch is punished, Why though the Witch bee punished, yet the affliction is not remoued.the partie afflicted hath no ease, yet this doth not argue that his affliction came not by that meanes. But herein appeareth; first, the absolute power of God, who ties not the outward blessing simply to the vse of holy meanes: Though the Magistrate hauehave done his duetie in punishing the Witch, yet the party afflicted must still abide Gods leasure, The Lord is not simply subiect to man: Or else though that outward meanes may bee vsed for the punishment of the offender, yet seeing the affliction must bee sanctified before it shall bee remoued from the Saints. And this proceeding hitherto may happily bee a meanes for the good of the Witch, as being staid from further hurting, and so happily as shee belongs to the Lord, by this temporall punishment may bee brought to true repentance: But it cannot simply and necessarily auaile the party afflicted; therefore it is the great wisedome and bountie of the Lord, not to cease the affliction vponupon the punishment of the Witch, but rather to linger it vponupon his Saints, vntill by more effectuall meanes of prayer, and vnfained repentance, they shall make an holy vse of the present chasticement, And so in it due season it shall bee remoued from them.
And may not the wise and gracious GOD heerby meete with our Confidence in the meanes; not remouing the correction, though wee hauehave done the will of God for the further Triall of our faith, and aduancement of his absolute power, in preseruing vsus in this extremity?
And so thereby not onelyonly confounding Satan, and his instruments which thirst for bloud: but preparing vsus heereby to a more glorious deliuerance. And what if it please our mercifull God to take vsus to himselfe by this strange affliction doth not his exceeding merciemercy shine heerein? Not onelyonly in sanctifying this grieuous affliction to his Saints, though hee do not vtterly remoue it; but further also in deliuering them by this affliction from this miserable world; or at least leading them by the continuance of the rod, to sound repentance, that so they may howsoeuer be bettered by it.
And therefore seeing the Lord can raise light of darkenesse, The Saints subiect to this calamitie, and why.and these outward things are common to all: though the deere Seruants of God should bee chasticed with this scourge, may not this stand with the wise prouidence of the Almighty may it not come within the compasse of this Art, to hauehave euen Gods children afflicted by Witch-craft? Shall not euen all things turne to their good?
And what though the Word seeme to condemne such as by poyson take away the life of man; yet seeing these poysons are deliuered from Satan vntounto the Witch, by vertue of the Couenant betweene them; Witches though they work by poyson, yet to bee punished for compact with Satan.and though some hurt bee done by poysons, yet much more is done by forcerie, and imployment of Satan personally to that end, seeing the Word doth as well condemne these Witches: Is it not manifest that such there are to be condemned?
And though happily they may speake many things falsly, Witches though they lie yet to bee conuicted.as confessing that to bee done by them which is done by Satan immediately, telling of many things that are vntrue, yet doth this the rather argue that they are led by Satan, that hee doth many things by their appointment.
For seeing Satan is a Lyer from the beginning, therefore doth hee both teach them to lie.
1 That those which yet will depend on them,Willing lie. may bee more inexcusable.
2 That hee may also by this meanes make a Trade of lying.Why they lie.
And hee doth also giuegive them ocsion to lie vnwittingly, in confessing that to be done by them which Satan did of himselfe, that so hee may hasten them to their deserued condemnation, causing their own tongues iustly to fall vponupon them, both in punishing their will though they did no hurt in this particular, and meeting with former hidden wickednesse by this supposed & arrogated crime.
But heere it is replyed, that these poore women vse Salues and good prayers to the accomplishment of their cures,Witches though they vse salues and prayers yet be conuicted of sorcerie. and therefore neither is it likely that Satan would conioyne with such holy meanes, and indeed it is needlesse, if these will doe it, to admit of Satans assistance thereto.
To which wee answere, that neither are such medicines as are applyed vsually fit for all such cures, because commonly they giuegive but one Salue for all diseases: Or if they were, why may not Satan vse these to cloke and colour his presence?
As for prayers, neither are they auaileable in regard of the person, being vsually prophane, popish, or ignorant; neither indeed allowable to such ends; but where other lawfull remedies may not bee had. And may not Satan hide heereby his assistance more dangerously? May hee not deceiue vnstable soules more desperately?
Thus it is apparant that there are Witches, both by testimonies from the Word, and by sound reasons conuincing the same: And so
Such obiections are answered as seeme to oppugne this sacred truth.
Now let vsus consider further what Witch-craft is.