The Mystery of Witchcraft Discovering the Truth of Nature, Book 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
1 What Witch-craft is, 2 Of the causes, 3 And effects thereof.
VVItch-craft is a wicked Art seruing for the working of wonders by the assistance of the deuill, so farre forth a… God in Iustice shall permit.
An Art (I say it is) because it hath it Rules and Obseruations whereon it is grounded: especially the Couenant with Satan, and the circumstances
The Author of these Rules is Satan the Prince of darknesse raigning in the children of disobedience, & therfore by his knowledge of diuine duties and malice against God and his children, framing these Rules, to draw them from the seruice of God, to the seruice of the Deuill.
And conueying these Rules vntounto the Witches his chiefe Schollers, that they might more easily and familiarly teach the wicked, then if Satan himselfe should personally appeare vntounto them.
And therefore it followeth that it is a wicked Art, as proceeding from so fearefull a Teacher, and tending to so wicked ends. As
1 To worke wonders, whereby it is proued to bee a Wicked Art, as proceeding from that roote of Bitternesse euen a Desire to bee like vntounto Gen. 3.God; to the compassing whereof, what more colourable then to work wonders? Thus did Satan preuaile with our first Parents, and thus hee workes vponupon their gracelesse posteritie, as being incouraged daily herein by our naturall corruption: And, that especially discouering it selfe.
1 By selfe louelove, and high conceipt of our owne deseruing; which being not answered; but rather crossed herein, that he that hath most is neuer cōtēted, he that hath lesse enuies him that hath more: heerevpon Satan laies the foundation of this Art in the heart of man, as heereby being Discontent in the heart of man.perswaded that hee shall worke wonders, both to relieue his pouertie, and aduance his credit, as exceeding all in this, though hee come short in other things, and hereby compassing the height of his desire: Thus did many Popes aduance themselues, as Syluester 2. Benedict 8. and Hildebrand.
This selfe conceit staies not here; but as outwardly it affects to bee as a God among men by honour and promotions, so doth it also inwardly affect and desire some such meanes, whereby it may raigne in the consciences of men.
And to this end, knowing men to affect nouelties, doth it therefore in Curiositie, search after knowledge and hidden Mysteries, which being not supplyed by nature and ordinary meanes, are therfore not vnwillingly sought by this forbidden skill: And that the rather because hereby being enabled to confirme such new-found knowledge with strange & wonderful Curiosityeuents, by this meanes doth more strongly bind the conscience, & detaine in obedience: Although all is done by no other meanes; but
2 The assistance of the deuill: wherby it is further distinguished from all other Arts, which produce their effects by vertue of their owne ground, not any outward helpe: As also especially, seuering heereby the wonders that are wrought by this Art, & those True Miracles, that are wrought by Diuine Power.
These are such as are wrought by the power of God simply, either aboue True Miracles.or contrary to nature, as Exod. 14. 21. & Exod. 6. 7. 8. those miracles done before Pharaoh by Moses, and Iosh. 10. 13. The causing of the Sunne to stand in the firmament, The preseruation of the Three Children in the fierie furnace; Dan. 3. 20. Daniel in the Lyons Den, Dan 6. 23. & Math. 14. Ioh. 9. these hauehave God truely to bee their Authour, As being the onelyonly Creator of Nature: 1 And therefore to God alone belongs to restraine or extend the power thereof: 2 Especially seeing this is a kind of creation, whereby that is to bee made which was not before: Ps. 136. 4. And therefore, if the Prophets and Apostles hauehave done any such wonders: It hath beene, 1 Not by Prophets & Apostles how they wrought Miracles.their owne power, or in their owne name, but by the Name and power of God: 3 Hauing an especiall and extraordinarie calling thereunto: Act. 3. 12.
Nay though the Son of God in his Christ Iesus how he wrought Miracles.Man-hood did many miracles, yet this was not by the Manhood wholy, though thereby the worke being wrought, was dispensed & acted in such & such a visible manner; yet the work it selfe being cōtrary to nature, was effected only by the power of the God-head: as in the raysing vp of the dead, the man-hood vttered the voyce, but the God-head fetched the soule from heauen and put it in againe vntounto the body, yea giues life and power to heare the voyce vttered to rise, come forth: Ioh. 11. Math. 10.
And therefore seeing Christ as man onelyonly, could not work these miracles, It followeth that whatsoeuer are wrought by men are deceitfull and counterfait, And being wonders and strange effects are therefore effected by the subtiltie of Satan, as being able to doe strange things aboue the ordinarie course of nature, though not simply contrarie thereto, which ordinarily the wit of man cannot possibly produce: And that
1 Because he being a spirit, is of extraordinarie knowledge and capacitie to search into the secrets of nature, and there to frame strange and wonderfull things: And that the rather because
2 He is ancient and full of experience, and so hath encreased his knowledge and profited his practise, which man by reason of his ignorance and forgetfulnesse, want of opportunitie cannot possibly compasse: And this
3 The rather because Satan to his knowledge and experience hath great power sufficient euen to confound all inferiour creatures if the Lord did not restraine: And withall
4 Is exceeding nimble and readie in exequution, being able to conuey himselfe and other creatures in a trice euen from farre distaut places.
1 And so by vertue of skill being able to apply Creature to creature and the efficient causes to the matter.
2 And that speedily aboue the ordinary course of nature how can he but effect admirable things:
3 Especially if we consider that the Lord permitting, it is possible for Satan to conuey himselfe into the substance of the creature, without any penetration of dimensions, and being in the creature although it bee neuer so solide, he can worke therein, not onelyonly according to the Principle of the nature thereof, but as farre as the strength and abilitie of those principles will possibly reach and extend themselues.
By this it is manifest, that Satan can worke wonders, and these according to his seuerall Qualities, are of two sorts.
1 Illusions, or Reall actions, Satan Concerning Illusions.deceiueth, 1 The senses, 2 The mind.
The Senses are deceiued, when wee thinke that wee see, heare, feele, and what indeed wee feele not: How Satan doth this, see heereafter in the Sect: of Iugling: Galatians 3. 1. 1. Sam. 25.
The Mind is deceiued, when a man thinkes that of himselfe which is not true; as when men thinke they are Kings, or Christ, Elias, &c.
Now Reall Workes are such, as Reall Workes.are indeed what they seeme to bee: which though to men that know not natures secrets, may seeme strange and admirable; yet are they no true Miracles, but Lying Wonders, in regard 2. Thess. 2. 9.of the end, for which they are wrought, as to maintaine errour, though not in respect of the worke it selfe, Such were those, Iob 1. So can Satan appeare in the shape of a man, not deluding the sense, but by assuming a true body, and therein vtter a true voyce.
And yet he cannot Change one creature into another: As a Witch into an Hare and Cat; This is a meere delusion of the sense, though the like was done by the mightie power of God, Genesis 19. 26. Lots wife.
As for that of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. It was no change of his substance, but onelyonly of his condition and qualities of his minde, Verse 31. The Lord inflicting madnesse, &c. vponupon him, to punish his Pride: And
Thus may Satan worke wonders but yet with this limitation:
So farre forth as God in Iustice suffereth: Implying thereby:
1 That God suffereth this Trade to trie his children, and to Punish the Deut. 13. 1wicked, 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11.
2 That Sathan can goe no further herein then the Lord permitteth: though his malice be infinite, yet his power is limited, Exodus 7. 8. 1. Reg. 22. 23.
And this the Lord doth 1 to confound Satan in the toppe of his Pride, and restraint of his malice; 2 to preserue his children from his power and crueltie, 3 to humble the wicked that are his Prentices in this Art, as if by their power, and not a diuine hand, Sathan were brideled, and to confound them also in their cruell expectations and designes against the Church of God.
¶ Thus farre concerning the Nature, and generall Description of this Art.