The World Bewitched, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. That ſome of the firſt Chriſtians derided the Conjurations of Spirits, and others credited and practiſed them.
Sect. 1. WE are now to examine, whether the practice of Divination and Witchcraft were in requeſt in the firſt time of the Chriſtian Church. Both were equally rejected by thoſe that were called Catholicks and Orthodox: but we muſt enquire upon what ground; for it was not ſo much becauſe they believed 'em to he deceiving Arts, the practice of which was impoſſible, as that they judge 'em unlawful. Beſides, they ackowledg'd ſo far the efficacy of Conjurations that they did not at moſt reject 'em, but came in proceſs of time to admit them in the Ceremony of Baptiſm, which are, ſtill call'd Exorciſms, generally us'd amongſt the Papiſts, and not entirely aboliſhed amongſt ſome Proteſtants. Tho' this be not the place to treat at large of this matter, yet it may be premiſde, that this is their moſt ancient Original, as the Writings of ſome of their Doctors plainly teſtify. But let us hear firſt, how the Laws of the Firſt Chriſtians thunder'd againſt thoſe that durſt meddle with Exorciſms and Conjurations.
Sect. 2. Here is the Proclamation of the Emperor Conſtantine, in the 9th Book of the Code, Tit. 8. Book 5. De Divinatoribus. Let no body preſume to interrogate Diviners, or to conſult Mathematicians and Aſtrologers. Silence is alſo enjoyn'd to Augurers, and Fortune-tellers. Caldees, Magicians, and thoſe that are called Sorcerers, becauſe of the hainouſneſs of their crime, ſhall not be allowed to undertake or exerciſe their Art. The curioſity of thoſe that conſult Oracles, ſhall be repreſſed. If any obey not our Orders, he ſhall be puniſhed by the Steel, till he be dead, Given at Milan, January 25. 337. Here is another Proclamation of the Emperors Valentinianus, Theodoſius and Arcadius. If any be found guilty of Magick, he ſhall be arreſted add deliver'd to Juſtice, as an enemy of Mankind, &c. Given at Rome, Aug. 17. 389. The reſt may be ſeen in thoſe Laws, and is ſufficiently known to Civilians. Conſtantine, in the beginning of his Reign in 312. had ordained the pain of Fire for ſuch as ſhould be convicted of that Crime, and promiſed a Reward to the Informers, Law the 3d. Tit. 8. de Maleficis comprehendendis & ad publicum pertrahendis.
Sect. 3. In the mean while, thoſe pains were not inflicted upon that ſort of people ſo much, becauſe, of their Cheats, as has been already ſaid; as eſpecially, by reaſon of their Crimes, and the hurt they were believed to procure to Men and Beaſts, by mixing and perturbating the Elements by their Witchcraft, which made them worthy of the moſt cruel puniſhments. This plainly appears by the 6th Law made by Conſtantine and Julian. Anno 357. There are ſeveral who are not afraid of confounding the Elements by Witchcraft, and aſſaulting the Life of Man, who cannot defend himſelf againſt them; of conjuring up Ghoſts and asking their advice, to deſtroy their Enemies by wicked ways, Whence it appears, a double Power was attributed to Sorcerers and Inchanters; Firſt, of confounding the Elements; and Secondly, of Conjuring up Ghoſts, making them appear, and diſcourſing with them. It was therefore believed, that the Crime of that People conſiſted in their converſe with the Spirits, whoſe Power and malice they made uſe of to torment other Men. So that 'tis no doubt but that Opinion was then general among the Chriſtians, and even amongſt the Mob of the Heathens; or at leaſt of the greateſt part amongſt them, who lived and converſed with the Chriſtians, ſo that either of them addicting themſelves to that Converſe, whether they were perſwaded of the Power of Spirits or not, made themſelves equally guilty, and obnoxious to the ſeverity of the Law.
Sest. 4. The chief Doctors of that time teach us the ſame, but I ſhall quote only a few that will afford us ſufficient proofs. I ſhall begin with Juſtin Martyr, who lived in the 2d. Age, and ſhows in his 2d, Apology, that he acknowledged the efficacy and virtue of the Heathen Witchcraft. In the new Edition of Cologne Pag. 65. The Predictions themſelves that are made by the means of the dead, by young innocent Children that ſee Objects in a mirror; by the calling up of the Souls of the deceaſed, and by thoſe that are call'd by the Magicians, Expounders of Dreams Paredri Aſſeſſores, Aſſeſſors. In ſhort, whatever is operated by thoſe that are skilful in thoſe practices, muſt perſwade you; ſays he to the Heathens, that the Souls have ſtill ſome Senſe after death. What he writes in his Dialogue againſt Tripho the Jew, differs not much from that Firſt paſſage, ib. Pag. 311. That the Demons may be overcome by Conjurations, in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, but that no Jew can do the ſame in the name of any King, Prophet or Patriarch; not even perhaps in the name of the God of Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob. He nevertheleſs believes, that the Demons, by means of that ſort of Diviners, that were called Ventriloqui, gave real Oracles to thoſe that Conjur'd them, as may be gather'd from his 33th Queſtion, and from the Anſwer to it.
Sect. 5. Proceeding farther, whatever is needful for our deſign, is to learn the Sentiments of the Fathers, as to the power and efficacy of the Conjurations, that were practiſed, both by the Heathens and Chriſtians. St. Cyprian, in the 3d, Century, ſufficiently Declares, that in the Chriſtian Religion Baptiſm has power, by the Bleſſing of Chriſt, to expel wicked Spirits, which gives occaſion to believe, that they were poſſeſs'd of Men, before their being caſt out by that Holy Sacrament. And indeed he writes in his 7th, Letter of the 1ſt Book, That as Pharaoh, after much reſiſtance, was at laſt drowned in the water; ſo the Devil is yet now a-days abuſed and tormented by the Exorciſts, whoſe voice is indeed only human, but attended by the Virtue of God. For a little farther he ſays, when by the Saving water we receive the Sanctification of Baptiſm, we may be ſure that the power of the Devil is overcome, and the perſon conſecrated to God, freed by his mercy. It happens at the ſame time, according to him, that Scorpions and Serpents cannot abide water, ſo the infernal Dragon cannot endure the Water of Baptiſm.
Sect. 6. He aſcribes the ſame Virtue to the name of Jeſus, when in his Sermon upon Baptiſm, ſpeaks of mercenary Exorciſts, de quaeſtuariis exorciſtis Obediunt Daemon…s Exorciſtis, &c. The Demons obey Exorciſts, ſaying, we know who is Chriſt, and who is Paul, and being conjured in the name of that Jeſus, whom Paul Preaches, we withdraw. It ſeems to St, Cyprian, that things ought to be ſo by the ſame reaſon that Baptiſm was valid, whether adminiſtred by Paul or Judas: But he ought to have conſidered, that we have not the ſame certainty that theſe Exorciſts ſhould have received their Office from God, as we are ſure that he had eſtabliſhed Judas in his Apoſtleſhip.
Sect. 7. Lactantius, in the 4th Century, will yet give us ſome inſtructions. And Firſt, as to Conjurations, that we treat now of, he believed that they have a great efficacy; for he writes in his Second Book, Sect. 15. That the Devils are afraid of the Juſt that worſhip God, ſince being conjured by them in his Name, they go out of Bodies, and being compell'd by their words, as by ſtripes, they not only acknowledg'd that they are Demons, but alſo declare their Names, that are found to be the ſame, under which they are adored in Temples, So that he believes that the wicked Spirit, how great a Lyer ſoever he is, cannot lye, when by Conjuration he is forced to ſpeak, becauſe the Divine Power conſtrains him to ſay the Truth for that time.
Sect. 8. In the mean while he ſticks not to that, but agrees with St. Cyprian, that the modern ſorcerers were able to enchant wicked Spirits, and by that argument, pretends to prove to Epicure and his followers, that there are Spirits in the World, and that Human Souls are immortal. To that end, he expreſſes himſelf in theſe words, Book the 7th, Sect. 13. Certainly if Democritus, Epicure, or Dicearchus, ſtood by a Magician, they ſhould not make bold to maintain by their Reaſons, that the Soul is Mortal; what could they anſwer? If the Magician by pronouncing ſome Verſes, call'd up the Souls' from ſubterraneous places making them appear to Men, ſpeak to them, and foretel future things; for if they ſtill preſume to perſiſt in their error, they would be forced to yeild to ſuch real proofs, and ſuch viſible effects.
Sect. 9. However, I cannot agree to what is read in his 2 Book, Sect. 14. That the Art and Power of Magicians, Magorum, only conſiſts in the Inſpirations they receive from the Spirits, that ſurprize Men, and deceive their Eyes by Illuſions, hindering them from ſeeing what is, and making them ſee what is not, when 'tis required from them by Magicians. He ſeem'd before to believe, that the Demons actually produce ſome effects, and here he will perſwade us, that there is nothing but illuſion: whatever it be, even that very illuſion is ſtill an Operation of the Demons, and conſequently approve of their exiſtence and action. In the mean while he agrees with himſelf in this, that he believes ſorcerers converſe with the wicked Spirit, and that the Conjurations of the former, force the latter to ſay and do what is required from them; but that all the effects of Witchcraft are to be aſcribed to them, and not to the Magicians.
Sect. 10. Lactantius was perſwaded that bad Spirits had a ſhare in all thoſe Arts, that made up the practices of the Ancient Heathens, and of which mention has been made, Ch. 3. He even believed that they were all invented by thoſe Spirits, as appears by his own words, Book 2. Ch. 16. The things that they have invented, viz. The Demons, are predictions, by the Stars, by the inſpection of Victims, and by the cry of Birds; theſe are the Oracles and Enchantments in uſe, to conſult the Dead, by Magick, Magia and all the other Evils to which Men addict themſelves, either privately or openly. All theſe things have nothing ſolid nor true in themſelves, but are received for ſuch, by the credit they borrow from the preſence of their Authors, who know how to impoſe upon the credulity of Men, affecting to make a divine power appear before them, of which however, no profit accrues to them. I might quote here ſome Authors of the two following Centuries, but obſerving no change in them that deſerves to be related, and fearing to inſiſt too long upon this: I come to the bottom of the matter, leſt I ſhould weary the Reader with unprofitable trouble.