Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 5 – Section 6
SECT. 5. What is Magicke, and who are Magitians.
A Magitian is he who uſeth midſes which are onelyonly proper to God, either in curing of diſeaſes or working other ſtrange effects.
Theſe are magicians who uſurpes any of Gods priviledges in curing or acting of their fates.Things appropriate to God, are firſt to worke by his word onelyonly: Secondly, to cure by number. Thirdly, by order. Fourthly, he workes ſometimes onelyonly by the ſituation of the body. Fiftly, he workes ſometimes by figure and character; Gods ſixt priviledge is to uſe one midſe to cure all diſeaſes. Gods ſeventh priviledge is to uſe naturall meanes, which notwithſtanding hath no force in working of the miracle. Gods eight priviledge is when he uſeth one midſe to produce contrary effects; ſo he uſeth artificiall midſes, as the braſen ſerpent, Pauls girdle.
Gods firſt priviledge to cure by word.Firſt, God uſeth ſometimes onelyonly words, when hee reſtoreth the ſicke to their health: as when he ſaid to the man ſicke of the palſie, ariſe and take up thy bed, Iohn 5.8. When the Magitian uſeth words onelyonly to cure the ſicke, this is Magicke, uſurping that prerogative which onelyonly belongs to the Lord.
Object. It may be ſaid, that Satan uſeth the words of the Scripture in curing of diſeaſes, as when one is troubled with the tooth-ach, they bring theſe words of Scripture, a bone of him ſhall not be broken?
Anſw. It is well ſaid by one, in nomine domini fit omne malum; that is, they abuſe the name of God, when they are about their Magicke trickes: the Scripture uſeth theſe words to another ſenſe, and therefore it is but a wreaſting of the Scripture; fraus dicitur fieri contra legem, vel ipſi legi, Againſt the Law, when they doe a thing which is forbidden in the Law, and ſtudies not to hide the fact with any colour; but fraus dicitur fieri legi, when they doe a thing contrary to the meaning of the Law, and yet ſeemes not directly to doe againſt the Law; when Magitians uſe words of the Law, they uſe them to another ſenſe than the Spirit of God meanes, then faciunt fraudem legi.
Queſt. When the devill hath the chiefe hand in working theſe ſtrange things, what is the Magitians part in working here?
Anſw. The Magitian uſeth theſe ſignes which Satan and he had agreed upon, and this makes him guilty of that ſame fact with the devill. Two robbers lies in waite by the way for a mans life, the one gives the ſigne, and the other kills, they are both guiltie of murther here: So the Magitian uſeth the ſigne appointed by the devill, either to kill or to heale, and here both are guilty of the fact.
Queſt. If there be no force in words, what meanes that, Pſal. 58.5. the deafe Adder ſtoppes her eare, and hearkens not to the voyce of the enchanter? Here there may ſeeme to be ſome force in words to enchant?
Anſw. Some ſaith that theſe words are ſpoken onelyonly by way of apologue, as Iudg. 9. The trees ſpake and choſe them a King, which cannot be underſtood literally. So the ſerpent is ſaid to ſtoppe her eare, but one thing is ſaid here, another meant, that the craftie courtiers of Saul would not hearken to Davids good admonitions but ſtopped their eares; But the rule of Quintilian is true,All compariſons muſt be taken from things that are true, but not examples. that examples may be true or falſe, but all compariſons are taken from things which are true indeede, Gen. 49.27. Benjamin is like a Woolfe, who kills his prey in the morning, and in the evening parts the ſpoile: If the woolfe uſed not to doe this, it were not a fit compariſon: So if the Adder ſtopped not her eare, it were not a fit compariſon.
Queſt. How doth the words then enchant the Serpent?
Anſw. The Serpent by nature, ſo ſoone as ſhe heares the enchanter ſtoppes her eare, as the chicken new hatched is afraid of the Kite. Satan in the meane time joynes himſelfe with the ſecond cauſe that hee benummes the ſerpent that ſhe cannot ſting: And this we may perceive alſo in the Lunatickes, whoſe braines are ſwelled up in the full Moone. Satan marking the ſecond cauſe here, takes occaſion to worke upon the braines of poore Lunatickes and makes them madde: ſo Satan concurres here with the ſecond cauſe and benummes, the ſerpent ſo that ſhe cannot ſting; therefore the Pſalmist, Pſal. 58.6. uſeth the ſame words which are ſet downe in the Law, Deut. 18.11. chobher chobharim; but when the ſerpent becomes old once & fit regulus, foreignthen he will not be enchanted.
Gods ſecond priviledge to worke by number.The ſecond priviledge properly onelyonly to God is to worke his miracles by obſerving number, 2 King. 5.10. Goe and waſh thy ſelfe ſeven times in Iordan, and thy fleſh ſhall be made whole, 2 Kin. 18.43. Eliah ſaid to his ſervant, goe againe ſeven times; ſo Ioſh. 6.7. but upon the ſeventh day thou ſhalt compaſſe the walls of Iericho ſeven times. This number of ſeven could doe nothing of it ſelfe; but it was a meanes appointed by God to worke thoſe miracles, when witches in their ſorceries uſeth this number of ſeven, they uſurpe that which is onelyonly proper to God, therefore it is Magicke. Some calls this Magicke Magiam geometricam; ſuch was the Magicke of Balaam, Num, 23.5. when he cauſed ſeven altars to be built: ſo when the witch bids the ſicke partie to dippe his ſhirt ſeven times in ſouth running water, this is plaine witchcraft uſing that midſe of number which is due onelyonly to God. Phyſitians in curing of diſeaſes which they call chronicke diſeaſes, as in curing their tertian agues, or quartan agues, they obſerve number, as the third day, fourth day, but here there is a naturall cauſe; but when the Lord commanded Gideon, Iudg. 6.25. to take the ſecond yong bullocke of ſeaven yeares old and offer it, there was another reaſon that moved him, here hee reſpected not the bare number; Here he commands him to offer the bullocke of ſeven yeares old, becauſe it was borne that ſame yeare that the Madianites began to oppreſſe the people of God.
The third priviledge of God in working his miracles is by order,Gods third priviledge to worke by order. Ioh. 5. whoſoever went downe firſt into the poole, after that the Angell had troubled the water, was whole and none other: If he had not gone downe firſt and kept this order, he had not beene healed; ſo witches in hurting or curing they obſerve order. A man is lying ſicke in his bed, they uſe uſually to take the ſickneſſe and lay upon him who comes firſt in at the doore, hee dies, and the ſicke man is cured: this is witchcraft obſerving order which is onelyonly proper to God.
Gods fourth priviledge to worke by ſituation of the body.The fourth priviledge of God in working his miracles, is the ſituation of the body, 2 King. 13.17. Eliſha commanded Ioaz King of Iſrael, and ſaid unto him, open the window Eaſtward and ſhoot. This ſituation of the body was a meanes appointed by God in working this miracle. Daniel when he was in Babylon, he opened his window and looked towards Ieruſalem when hee prayed, but this was a part of the ceremoniall worſhip commanded under the Law; for the Iewes when they were in a ſtrange countrey were bound alwayes to turne their faces towards the Temple when they prayed, 1 King. 8. And when they were in the temple they turned their faces alwayes to the Weſt when they prayed, becauſe the propitiatory was placed in the Weſt end of the Temple contrary to the worſhip of the Heathen, who turned their faces alwayes to the Eaſt when they worſhipped, Ezech. 8.16. Here they reſpected not the ſituation of the body, but the manner of the worſhipping, but God in working of this miracle would have the ſituation of the body obſerved as the ſituation onelyonly. Balaam when he would curſe the people of God, Num. 24.19. turned his face towards the Iſraelites, and his hinder parts to the Moabites, and to the Amonites; therefore they are called Bene Sheth, that is, filij natum, becauſe they were behind Balaams backe or poſteriour parts.
Gods fift priviledge is to worke by figure or character.The fift priviledge of God in working his miracles is by figure or character. When the Lord God appointed to deſtroy Ieruſalem, theſe whom he minded to ſave in this deſtruction, he cauſed to marke them in their foreheads with this ſigne. Ezech. 9.4. The ſigne of it ſelfe had no force, yet it pleaſed the Lord to uſe this ſigne for the preſervation of his owne. The Magitians in their conjurations and exorciſmes uſeth oftentimes characters and figures. Therefore the Scripture calls them chartumim a charat inſculpere, becauſe they engraved their charecters. Elimas the ſorcerer, Act. 16.8. In the Arabicke is called Chartom, foreignbecauſe he uſed figures and circles in his conjurations, See Dan. 2.2. So the Teraphim were made to the likeneſſe of a man, and engraven with divers characters and figures. Therefore Aquila tranſlates them foreign, when Magitians uſeth circles and figures in their conjurations, they uſurpe one of Gods priviledges, and this is Magicke.
This is alſo one of the ſingular priviledges of God when he uſeth one meanes to cure all diſeaſes,Gods ſixt priviledge to uſe one meanes to cure all diſeaſes. Ioh. 5. Whoſoever entred into the poole after the water was troubled by the Angel, he was cured of whatſoever diſeaſe he had: This was Gods panaceum or foreign, to cure all diſeaſes. When ſorcerers and witches uſeth one remedie for all diſeaſes, this is plaine magicke and an uſurpation of the priviledge which is due onelyonly to God.
Gods ſeaventh priviledge in working of miracles,Gods ſeventh priviledge when he uſeth meanes to cure, which hath no force in them. is when hee uſed ſalt, ſpittle, meale, oyle, duſt, theſe midſes had no force in working theſe miracles, and they were not as the Schoolemen ſpeakes, media operantia ſed deferentia, and God did not here foreign, that is, he wrought by theſe meanes, but not in theſe meanes: When a Fiſher is fiſhing he catches upon the hooke the crimpe fiſh; the crimpe fiſh-tranſmits a benumdneſſe, firſt, to the hooke, then to the line, then to the goad, and laſt it benumes the fiſhers arme, now becauſe the line and the goad are not capable of benumdneſſe; therefore they are but media deferentia. And theſe mides were of three ſorts which the Lord uſed; firſt, he uſed ſome midſes as ſeemed to have ſome naturall force in them, yet had none. Secondly, hee uſed midſes which had no power in them, and ſeemed to have no power. And thirdly, he uſed midſes which had a contrary power in them. Firſt, he uſed midſes which ſeemed to have a naturall power in them,Why God uſeth meanes which hath no power in them, nor ſeemes to have no power. yet had none at all, 2 King. 4.34. And he went up into the bed and ſtretched himſelfe upon the child, and laied his mouth to his mouth, and his eyes to his eyes, ſo that the fleſh of the child began to grow warme; he did this, non aliquo ritu ſed affectus vehementia; and ſo Paul fell upon Eutichus. Againe, he went up and downe the houſe, now this way, now that way, and went up the ſecond time, and ſtretched himſelfe upon the child, and the child neeſed ſeven times. The heat of the Prophets bodie here might have ſeemed to have had ſome naturall cauſe to have made the childs fleſh warme, and to have brought life to him againe; but there was no naturall cauſe here to helpe the child to live, but onelyonly the power of God. So when the Lord commanded to lay a lumpe of figges to Ezekias his ſore, Eſay 38. Figges of themſelves would matured the boyle: One would have thought that there were ſome naturall power in the midſe here to produce this effect to make the boyle ripe, but there was no force at all in the midſe here when it was applied to the ſore, but the hand of the Lord did it onelyonly.
Quest. Ye will ſay then, why uſed God theſe meanes if they had no force at all to produce the effect?
Anſw. God uſed ſuch meanes to obſcure his power a little in working of the miracle, he caſt a vaile over his miracle covering it as it were with nature, and by his example taught us, that we ſhould not neglect the ſecond cauſes and ordinary meanes.Why God uſeth meanes which hath no power in them, nor ſeemes to have no power. Therefore Chriſt having wrought the miracle of the loaves, he cōmanded to gather up the broken meat, Mark. 8.8. Secondly, the Lord uſed means which had no power at al to effectuate theſe miracles, neither ſeemed they to have any power in them, as the ſtaffe of Eliſha, 2 King. 4.29. the girdle of Paul, and Peters ſhadow, Act. 15.15. And the Lord uſed ſuch meanes as theſe that his glory might appeare the more, and that we ſhould no ſticke too much to the ſecond cauſes, as Aſa did to the Phyſitians. Thirdly,Why God uſeth means which have a contrary power in them. God uſeth meanes ſometimes which have a contrary effect, and theſe means he uſeth that his glorie might moſt appeare. And in theſe miracles the Hebrewes ſaith, that there was miraculum in medio miraculi, that is, there was a miracle within a miracle, 2 King. 2. To make the bitter waters ſweet, was a miracle, but to make them ſweet by ſalt, that was a miracle within a miracle; So Num. 17. Aarons rod brought forth firſt leaves, and then it bloſſomed, to bring forth leaves was a miracle, but then to bloſſome was a miracle within a miracle: for all ſtonefruites bloſſomes firſt, and then brings forth leaves. So to reſtore the ſight to the blinde was a miracle, Ioh. 9. but to cure him by puting clay to his eyes, this was a miracle within a miracle. So 1 King 18.35. to ſend a fire from the heaven to burne the burnt offering was a miracle, but that the burnt offering ſhould burne when water was powred upon it, and the ditch round about the altar powred full of water, then for the ſacrifice to burne, that was a miracle within a miracle; when the ſorcerer or witch uſeth ſuch meanes in which there is no power to heale, this is Magicke, and an uſurpation of Gods prerogative. Therefore the Hebrewes ſaith, In quocunque eſt aliquid de medicina in eo nihil eſt de via Ammoreorum, Lev. 18.3. That there is no witchcraft where we ſee naturall reaſon or phyſicke to appeare; when witches uſeth meanes to cure, which hath no naturall helpe in them; this is magicke uſurping one of Gods priviledges.
God uſeth ſometime one meanes to produce contrarie effects;Gods eight priviledge when hee uſeth one meanes to procure contrary effects. as the bitter waters made the guiltie womans bellie to rot and conſume, but it made the honeſt woman to conceive, Num. 5.28. When witches uſeth one meanes to produce contrary effects, it is the uſurpation of Gods priviledge, and then it is witchcraft.
God uſeth artificiall meanes in curing of diſeaſes.God uſeth alſo artificiall meanes in curing of diſeaſes, as the braſen Serpent, Pauls girdle; and here the Hebrewes ſaith, Deus aufert noxam per eum qui noxam infert; as the looking upon the braſen ſerpent cured theſe who were ſtung with ſerpents, Num. 31.9. In naturall things it is the forme that workes more than the mater, in artificiall things it is the mater that workes more than the forme, but here neither the mater nor the forme workes. The Magitians uſeth ſometimes artificiall meanes in working ſtrange things; as Giges made himſelfe inviſible by his ring.
Signes are of foure ſorts.The Magitians alſo obſerve ſignes. Signes are of foure ſorts; firſt, there are divine ſignes; ſecondly, there are naturall ſignes; thirdly, ſuperſtitious ſignes, and fourthly diabolicall ſignes.
Divine ſignes.Firſt, divine ſignes Ezech. 37.16. Sonne of man take thee one ſticke and write upon it for Iudah, and for the children of Iſrael his companions; Then take another ſticke and write upon it for Ioſeph the ſticke of Ephraim, and they ſhall be one in thy hand. Here the joyning of the two ſtickes in the Prophets hand, was a ſigne of the joyning of the tribes together. So when Agabus tooke his girdle and bound himſelfe with it, it was a ſigne to Paul that he ſhould be bound at Rome, Act. 21.11.
Naturall ſignes.Secondly, we may obſerve ſignes naturall, and make uſe of them as the Phyſitians doth in a mans ſickeneſſe; and the Iewes ſaith that there are ſixe ſignes which are good to know when they are found in a ſicke man; the firſt is gnatuſh ſtermutatio, foreignneeſing; the ſecond is Seignir, ſudor, ſwetting; the third is Shilſhul, ſedes ſive egeſtio, when he hath the benefite of the ſtoole; the fourth is, Keri pellatio nocturna gonorea, the ſheding of his ſeede; the fifth is Shena ſomnus, ſleepe; the ſixt is chalom ſomnium, a dreame. We may obſerve theſe naturall ſignes.
The third are ſuperſtitious ſignes,Superſtitious ſignes. as if one meete a hare firſt in the morning, they take that for an evill ſigne, and people are much taken with theſe ſuperſtious ſignes.
The laſt are diabolicall ſignes; when Zoroaſtes was borne he preſently laught; they gathered by that, that he would prove afterward a great Magitian: this was a ſigne from the divill and not from God.
The devill uſeth ſundry diabolicall ſignes with his witches: They take a belt in their hand,Diabolicall ſignes. and meaſure how many inches long the belt is; If ye name to them the name of the perſon who is ſicke, they will tell you preſently whether the perſon will live or die; if the perſon will die then the belt growes a great deale ſhorter by ſo many inches then it was before; but if the perſon be to live then it is a great deale longer then it was before; this is the common practiſe of witches. To breake off or to diſſolve this covenant with the devill is a very hard thing; Simon Magus deſired S. Peter to pray for him, but he could not pray for himſelfe, and unleſſe the ſtronger man come in, and bind Satan and diſpoſſeſſe him, he can never be diſpoſſeſſed, Luke 11.
He that hath a deſire to come out of theſe ſnares of the divel,How men muſt breake off this direct covenant with the devill. firſt he muſt know in what a dangerous eſtate he ſtands in, without repentance he cannot enter within the holy citie. Secondly, he muſt know, that upon repentance he may be received into the kingdome of God againe, as Manaſſes, 2 King. 21.6. and thoſe of Epheſus. Act. 19.19. And ſuch was Cyprian, who afterward proved a martyr; then they muſt confeſſe their ſinnes. Act. 19. and ſhew their deedes, and laſt burne their magicke bookes, although they were of never ſo great a price, it is not lawfull to keepe ſuch bookes but to burne them, Act. 19.20. We may read the bookes of Heretickes and keep them, but theſe books we may not keepe.
Whether it is lawfull to remove the ſigne put by the devill or not?A queſtion may be moved here in breaking this direct covenant with the devill, whether it is lawfull to remove that ſigne which the devill hath put for the hurting of man or beaſt. Example, the devill bids take a toad, and put it under the threſhold of ſuch a mans doore, and when the man or any that belongs to him comes over that doore, then they ſhall die; Whether is it lawfull to remove the ſigne, or not, when we know it is put there. This queſtion is diſputed by the Caſuiſts ſundry wayes. Some holds that they may uſe the helpe of a witch to remove the ſigne. If it be lawfull for one (ſay they) to borrow money of an uſurer if he be willing to lend it; and if it be lawfull to take an oath of him who ſweares by his Idols, why may we not, ſay they, uſe the helpe of a witch to remove the ſigne?
Anſw. There are great oddes betwixt theſe, becauſe witchcraft is intrinſece mala, it is evill of it ſelfe; therefore wee muſt never have any medling with a witch, Rom. 1. They who doe ſuch things are worthy of death, and not onelyonly they who doe them, but alſo they who conſent unto them; but when one takes an oath of him whom hee knowes will ſweare by his Idoll onelyonly, or to borrow money from him whom hee knowes is an uſurer: theſe are not evill of themſelves to take an oath and borrow money: and if they were well affected they would ſweare religiouſly by the true God, and lend their money freely; ſo that theſe two are but evill as they abuſe them, but are not evill in themſelves as Magicke is.
Any Chriſtian man may ſafely remove the ſigne which is put by the devill.
Object. To remove the ſigne which Satan hath placed, ſeemes to be an implicite calling upon the devill and a minding of him to performe his promiſe?
Anſw. Hee that removes the ſigne calls not upon the devill here for his helpe, neither doth hee covenant with the devill that hee ſhould ceaſe to hurt, when hee removes the ſigne. If a traytor ſhould make a covenant with the enemie, and confederate after this manner with him; when I hold up this ſigne, or put up theſe colours, then yee ſhall come and ſcale the walles; now if any good citizen ſhould know this, and ſhould remove the ſigne, hee would no wayes be thought to conſent to their treacherous covenant, but rather to hate and diſſolve it.
Object. Hee who removes the ſigne that the devill may hurt no more, medles he not here with the covenant which the devill made with the witch, which was this: So long as the ſigne lies here it ſhall have power to hurt, but when it is removed, it ſhall have no power at all to hurt?
Anſw. Although hee that removes the ſigne ſhould know that the covenant was thus made betwixt the devill and the witch, yet it would not follow that hee conſented to this covenant, for he deſires not the devill here to keepe his promiſe, when he removes the ſigne, neither enters he in a new covenant with the devill here, but by that means he breakes the covenant which the devill and the witch made, and takes away occaſion to call upon the devill hereafter.
Object. But when hee removes the ſigne, and hopes that Satan ſhall not hurt hereafter, either he expects this event from a naturall cauſe, or from the will of man, or from God by a miracle; but he expects none of theſe wayes; therefore he lookes to have the event from the devill; and it is all one as if he ſhould ſay to the devill; thou promiſedſt ſo ſoone as this ſigne was removed to ceaſe to hurt any more, I remove the ſigne, therefore performe thou that which thou haſt promiſed?
Anſw. He who removes the ſigne expects not here from the devill an poſitive effect, but onelyonly an privitive when wee call upon God by faith to ſave us from the devill, then we know the devill hath no power to hurt us, we expect no poſitive effect here from him but only that he hurt us not, and the man when he removes the ſigne he expects nothing by reaſon of the covenant made betwixt the witch and the devill, but by breaking this ſigne he breaks the covenant betwixt Satan and the witch. Therefore when he expects that the devil ſhould hurt no more, he doth not: as if he ſhould ſay, performe thou that which thou promiſed, ſeeing I have plaid my part, but rather thus, I breake off the covenant which thou madeſt with the witch, and hath removed this ſigne which thou appointedſt for hurt, therefore thou muſt hurt no more.
SECT. 6. Of the indirect covenant with the devill.
What is the indirect covenant with the devill.HEe makes the indirect covenant with the devill who uſeth fooliſh ſignes, or write, or words, truſting in them, although he hath not made a covenant directly with the devill: When the Idolaters offered cakes to the queene of heaven, they who offered the cakes made a direct covenant with the Idoll, but the little children who gathered the ſtickes, Ier. 7.18. made but an indirect covenant with the Idoll. So the witneſſes that ſtoned Stephen, Act. 7. directly killed him, but Saul who kept the cloathes of thoſe who ſtoned him was indirectly guilty of his death; but as Saul became a moſt cruell wolfe and perſecuted the Church, Act. 26.10. So theſe who enters into the implicit or indirect covenant with the devill, may afterward eaſily enter into the direct covenant with him; he who enters into direct covenant with the devil takes his marke in his forehead; and hee who enters into the indirect covenant with him, takes but his marke in his hand. The Caſuiſts of the Romane Church doth not condemne this indirect covenant altogether, for if any uſe theſe ſignes which they uſe of probable ignorance, they take this to be but a veniall ſinne.