The first Chapter. VVhat this word Sortiarius, a Sorcerer, signifieth, and from whence it first tooke beginning.

THis word Sortiarius, a sor­cerer, doubtlesse is deriued from the more frequented Latine woord Sortilegus, which the latines also con­firmed vnto the imitation of the Greekes: for as these tearmed them [...], so likewise do y^e latines cal them Sortilegi, that is to say, casters of lots, or tellers of fortunes. But y^e [...] bée those who through diuelish artes fore­tell thinges to come, and Sortilegi also, bee they who by reuelation and conference [Page] with the same Satan, by casting certen lottes, such as in the olde tyme were huc­kle bones or dyce, and now a dayes by an hearen bagge, which will turne rounde at the mumbling of certen superstitious woordes. The Frenchmen folowing the accustomable proprietie of theyr toongue, and by clipping shorter the word, out of the latine Sortilegus, haue made it Sorcier. The Hebrues in this deduc­tion of woordes haue no affinitie nor a­gréement eyther with the Gretians or Latines, or with vs Frenchmen: For those whom wée tearme Sortiarij, Sor­cerers, those they call Chobarim, for that they put their mischéeuous practises in vre, through sinister and secret craft. And it is not to bee doubted, but that the woorde Sortiarius is deryued of the more aunciēt word Sortilegus. Which by what meanes it cōmeth to passe, I will now de­clare. First it is euident, that among the manifolde causes wherupon men ioyne & binde themselues to the diuel, this hath bin the chiefest and most auncient, namely (such béeing the vanitie & curiositie of vs al, euē of nature,) to knew things to come, [Page] and to foretel them also to other. For there is none of vs contented with his owne e­state, but we striue al to reach vnto the mi­steries of God, supposing our selues to haue attayned to the top of the most high prede­stination, if we get any vnderstanding in thinges to come, which are hid from other. This foolish vanitie when Satan percey­ued in al ages to reigne in the harts of mē, and that they much desired to foreknowe what was to come, he omitted no diligence in taking this occasion, therby to curry fa­uour with thē to win their hartes, to make them beholding vnto him. Thus made hee promise vnto thē that he would perfourme that which they required, & that he would giue them vnderstāding of things to come, if they would obey and harken vnto him: which these vaine, mad, and curious men refused not to doe. So that in conclusion, there was made a most firme league and couenaunt betwéene Satan & these grée­die desirers to know thinges to come, that he would tell them what should ensue, and they should hereafter continue in bondage & slauery vnto him. Thus first of al sprang vp these deuiners & sorcerers, which were [Page] the first men of all that had any dealinges or frindship with the Diuel, wherby after­ward it came to passe, y^e whosoeuer were seruisable or addicted to Satan, were cal­led by the name which is wel knowne and commune, that is▪ Sorcerers. Neither was ther yet euer any age y^t wāted this wicked kind of Diuellish deuiners, these practizes and artes being reported to bée of very auncient continuance founde out, and fre­quented almost euer since the first founda­tion of the world, and the creation of man.

How prooue you that?

Fyrst, by the expresse aucto­ritie of Gods word, reciting this kynde of wickednes among the most auncient cri­mes of the world. For how auncient was the art and diuellish deuination of the Ae­giptian Magicians, whereof mention is made in the fourtie, and one and fourtie chapters of Genesis? Also Marcus Varro, a man generally learned, and a most diligent searcher out of al antiquities, sheweth how that these foure kyndes of deuinations haue remayned since the fyrst age of the world, continuing still in vse, euen vnto his tyme. For out of the foure Element [...] [...] [Page] this world, by which men were taught by Satan, to pronounce of thinges to come, sprang foorth the foure kindes of deuinati­on, namely, Pyromantia, which is doone by Fyer, Aëromantia by the Ayre, Hydro­mantia, by Water, and last of all Geo­mantia, whereby they gessed foreknow­ledge of things to come, by the Earth, or out of the Earth. Other also which came after, found out fiue kindes of deuination, or rather deuised them. But the holy scrip­ture being far more certain and auncient then all these, reckneth vp sundry other kindes of diuellish predictions, specially making rehearsal of eight, howbeit there­in it hath not comprised them all. For it is not possible to name any kynde of creature, which men through suggestion of the Diuell haue not abused to that pur­pose.

Which be those eight kyndes whereof, as you say, the holy Scripture maketh mention?

I ad no more then trueth is. For in Deuter. the .18. Chapter, the .10. and .11. verse. Lykewise in the .23. Chap­ [...] of Leuiticus the .23. verse, There are [Page] so many euidently distinguished and reci­ted, in reciting whereof vnto you, I pur­pose not to [...]ns [...]e the same order as they be there named, but to declare them vnto you as breefly and as playnely as I can.

I pray you say on then.

The first kinde of day na­ble deuination, which may be gathered out of the forenames places, taketh name of those, which of the Hebrewes are c [...]lled Cosemim, and of the Latines Diui [...], de­uinours. Those are they which by secret and priuie conference with the Di [...]ell▪ do deuine and prophesie of thinges that [...] happen, being of all others the most craf­tiest and s [...]btellest. For in any ca [...]e they wyll not be des [...]ryed or knowne, [...]isse [...] ­bling as though the [...] came to knowledge thereof by some wyse coni [...]ture, or by in­spiration f [...]om God, and not foret [...]lling what shall [...]appen by any damnable doc­trine, [...] couering their secret en­ter [...]ourse which they haue with the Di­uell. Whereuppon it commeth to passe, that this word [...]osemim, is taken in the Scripture in the better part, for wyse and skilfull men, as it appeareth in the [Page] third Chapter of Esai. The seconde kynde of Deuinours, are called of y^• Hebrues Ao­bot, of the Latines or rather Gretians, Ly­thomei, we Frenchmen suppose those men to bee of that sort which are thought to haue of their owne some domestical or familiar diuell. The same openly and without dis­simulation do talke and conferre with the Diuell, vsing him as it were a seruant in fulfilling their commaundementes, so that they be altogither conuersant with hym: And they were called Aobot, for y^t through instinct and motion of their Diuel, they de­uine what shall follow, yéelding foorth of their belly, as it were out of a pot or bottle, an obscure confused voyce, like as the Lhy­thomissa did out of the place of the Oracle at Delphos, very lothsomely and horribly. The other six sortes of Deuination, doe in this poynt differ from the residue, that al­beit they be accomplished by the help and meanes of Satan, yet in these folowing Satan himself in person, neyther dealeth nor talketh with them which do deuine (as we sayd he d [...]th, in the first twayne) but by the mediation of some other thing, or else by vsing certen signes and tokens, which [Page] notwithstanding hée commaundeth to bée done, and sheweth how to do them. The third kynd of Deuinours, are they whom the Latines term [...] Necromantici, Necro­mancers, who by the dead by helpe & means of the Deuil, do desire to know thinges to come. Which kynd, although most absurd and impossible, was frequented in Homers time, wherof he maketh mencion in the xi. booke of his Odis [...]ea ▪ Wherin although Sa­tan beare all the stroke, yet coloureth hee his owne name, therin working his feats vnder pretence, and by meanes of some o­ther person. The fourth kynde, are those which of the Hebrues are called Megonin, (from wh [...] ̄ [...] perhaps the Magi or Magici­ans ma [...] seeme to haue taken their name, howbeit those whom we call Magi are o [...] another sort) and of the latines Astro­logians & Mathematicians. The same sup­pose that they can foretel thinges to come, by obseruation of certen signes, places, and starres, and by their position and aspectes, as they call them: Lyke as in foretyme the Augures or Soothsayers of Roome descri­bing & diuiding the ayre into certen quar­ters and regions, gathered their profecies [Page] therof, euen as the Iudiciarie Astrologians do at this day. The first kinde, y^e Hebriciās name Menachesim, and the Latines Ma­gi, Magicians, who haue also learned their deuination of the Diuel by certen figures, charecters, and lines d [...]awen, & by mum­bling certen superstitious wordes, tou­ching the matter they enquire of. Thus practize they their A [...]te, by certen secret signes and priuie woordes, which theyr wicked maister the Diuell hath taught them. Such are the Hydromantij, or wa­ter sorcerers, and of this sort was that de­uination by a cuppe or pot, whereof there is made mencion in the .v. verse, of the xliiii. Chapter of Genesis. The sixt kinde, the Hebricians terme Idegonim, and in Latine are called Ariolj, which tell men what good fortune shal betide them. These promise to foretell out of thinges that hap­pen by chaunce, not sought or fayned by theyr owne industrie, which neuerthe­lesse procéedeth out of the same schoole of Satan. Such are at this day dreame rea­ders, palmesters, taking vppon them to tell whatsoeuer shall chaunce by the deli­niamen [...]s and lines of the hand: Such in [Page] olde time were the interpretours of light­ning and Thunder, and such as profesied by the intrayles of beastes offered in Sa­crifice, or els of the singing or féeding of Byrdes, who were also termed Extispues, intraill pri [...]rs, and Osciues, that is, telling what shal come by [...]nging of byrds. These all would séeme to leane vnto a probable cōiecture, & not to depēd vpō any vaine su­perstitiō. The .vii. kind, y^e Hebriciās name Mecasephin, & the latines cal thē Prestigi­atores et Fascinat [...]s, y^t is, iuglers & witch­es. Th [...]se work by enchaūtmēts & mere li­gierd [...]main, deceuing y^e eiesight, & bewitch men, sem [...]ng to repr [...]sēt & shew vnto them such things as they promise, & yet deceuīg thē: such were Pharaos enchaūters, which are also called by y^e same name in the .vii. chap. & .xi. verse of Exodus. Finally, y^e .viii. & last kind of deuinours, are those which y^e Hebrewes cal Chobarim. Deuteron. the .18 chap. the .11. verse: the latines cal thē Sorti­legi, fortunetellers, which somtime in cer­ten places méete w^t Satan, & woorke much wickednes. Thus you sée how aūcient all these kinds of diuilish diuinors be, & whēce those which we cal now Sortiarij sorcerers, [Page] procéeded, and were first so named.

But Theophilus, who so li­steth examine it to the vttermost, shall per­ceiue that there is very great differēce be­twéene Sortilegi, fortunetellers, and Sorti­arij, sorcerers, euen in their very vsual and proper significations. For I remember ve­ry well, when I was yet a childe and went to scoole, I learned of my maister that they were called in Latine Sortilegi, which dyd not hurt with any poyson, but rather by casting certen lottes gathered the euent of future thinges, as namely with Beanes, Dice, or square sticks marked, or by some verse of a Poet not turned vnto, but offring it self, and read by chaunce, which as hee wonted to report, hapned once to [...]eptimi­us Seuerus Emperour of the Romanes. For being in hand to vsurpe the Empire, and desirous to know what should be the euent of his attempt, he sought his lot out of Vir­gil, where by chaunce he lighted vpon this verse, which is in the sixt booke of Aenei­dos, Remember Romane thou, thy Realms to rule with empire iust: as Lampridius writeth in his lyfe. But those whom wée call Sorcerers, for the more parte do not [Page] deuine, but only intoxicate and priuily s [...]ea with poison, being therto instructed by Sa­tanical artes: Yet if somtyme they chaunce to foretell thinges to come, they do it not by lottes, as they did in old tyme, but only by the Diuels reuealing.

These things which you tell Anthony, are most true, and in dede if wee will say the verie truth, those whom wee call Sorcerers, cannot be called lottellers, but rather diuellish witches, and enchaun­ters. But forasmuch as, when they do any harme after such manner, they learne of the Diuel to do it, and haue made a league and agréement with the diuel, as the aboue named Lottellers, & to be short, haue who­ly addicted them selues to Satan, lyke as those Lottellers haue▪ it is so come to passe, that the common sort of people, not beyng very scrupulous or precise in wordes, do tearme al such, Lottellers and Sorcerers, which by lots do tel things to come through instruc [...]ion of the Diuel, or such as kil men or beastes with poyson or sorceries which the Diuell deliuereth vnto them, because both sortes haue geuen themselues ouer to Satan, and vse his help. Thus, of one part [Page] the whole kinde tooke his name, and of one word wel knowne, the other was deriued: So that the whole nation and rablement of witches, that they might béecome more odious among m [...]n (as it is worthie) were chiefly called by the name of Sorcerers. For so were they tearmed, after that the gospell began to be knowne to the world, at which time the whole rable of Satani­call deuinours became very odious, (as it deserued,) among all men, as it is declared the first of Sam. y^• xv. chapter, & xxiii. verse. Moreouer in the applying of this name, there is no puritie or proprietie of the la­tine tongue to bée loked for. For these wit­ches began first at that time to be called by the names of Sortilegi or Sortiarij, when the Gothes inuaded Italy, and the propri­etie of the Latine tongue was wholy growen out of vse. So that it is thought that the Italians frequented this woord first before all other in that signification, when as Italy became barbarous, and not vsing more the Latine tongue, which by the tytle De Sortilegis, in the Decretals, appeareth: albeit S. Augustine séemeth to vse it in some place, folowing the custome [Page] of his tyme, and the signification knowne to the Christians. The same may also bée gathered out of the last Canon, thrée & th [...]tie, the first question, where though barbarously, yet plainly they bée called Sor­tia [...]i [...], [...]orcerers: Otherwise no man doub­teth that it is one thing to intoxicate a man, another thing to inchaunte, another thing which the Grecians call [...], another [...], although both bée done by the craft of Diuel. Through all the region of Sauoy & Daulphin, witches are called Eryges, either of y^e gréeke word Erynius which signifieth madnes of mind, and a greedie desire to slea men: or rather as some suppose of this word [...], which in the Poet [...]heocritus, signifieth certen deadly, and vnluckie birdes.

By what names then I pray you, did the auntient auctours of the pure latine toongue, tearme these witches?

They called men witches Maleficos, and the women that were ge­uen to such artes, they tearmed Veneficas, Sagas, [...]hessalas, Magas, [...]amias, and Stri­ges, al which wordes may bée obserued out of the good and pure writer of the Latine [Page] tongue, Horatius Flaccus in the first booke of verses the xxvii. Ode, in his [...]podes the xvii. Ode, the first booke of Sermons, the viii. satyre. Such an one in his tyme was one (Canidia: such an one was Circe, of whom Homer writeth in the tenth booke of Odissea: such an one was Medea, of whō Ouid speaketh in the seuenth booke of Me­tamorphosis. To be short, such an one was shée of whom Lucane writeth in the sixth booke of Pharsalidos, with many mo, of whom mencion is made in sundry histo­ries: whiche writers last before cited, although they bée Poetes, yet in this point faigned they or deuised nothing beside the truth, but such thinges as they sawe were knowne, and frequented in their time. But to passe ouer Poets, Caesar in the first booke of the cōmentaries of the French warres, maketh mencion of y^e Germane Uirgines, and Cornelius Tacitus in the second booke of Chronacles mencioneth one Martinae, which killed the Emperour Germanicus by such kinde of witchcraft, & intoxication.

Now do I vnderstand, Theophi­lus, who are called sorcerers, & why they so be called, & by what name they be properly [Page] termed, if we will speake true latine. But forasmuch as we must follow the custome of the multitude, let vs call these diuellish witches, Sorcerers, & their witchcraft, let vs call enchauntment, and them which by them are hurt, let vs call enchaunted, that our disputation may bée vnderstood of all men: concerning all which thinges, I de­maunde of you whether this sort of men were before y^e natiuitie of Christ, or whe­ther they first began and came to know­ledge since the passion of Christ?

The word Sorcerer, was first found and inuented since the byrth of Christ, but the thing it self, and those kynd of witches, were knowne long before the birth of Christ. Neyther may you thinke, friend Anthony, that Christ that came to destroy the workes of the Diuell, gaue vn­to him more power ouer men then he had before, or that these kindes of most detesta­ble witchcraft were before that tyme vn­knowne, or else since that tyme were first brought into the world: Such thinges can not be thought, much lesse spoken, without horrible blasphemie against Christ. And if it should chaunce, that any were of that o­piniō, [Page] he might be refuted w^t an argument more cléere thē noone light. For both Moi­ses, & also the whole olde testament, (which was before the birth of Christ) doth beare most euident record, that there were wit­ches, as in the xviii. of Deut. & the xii. chap­ter of the booke of wisdom. For Satan hath alwayes bin like himself, and as we fynde him at this day, so all ages haue seene and fealt him, who inflamed, and enforced, the children of vnbeleefe, to reuenge their priuate iniuries, and one brother to com­mit vniust slaughter vpon another, bicause as S. Iohn writeth in the viii. chapter, and xliiii. verse, He was a murtherer from the beginning. And thus much touching the o­rigina [...]l, and vnderstanding of this word Sortiarius, Sorcerer.

The second Chapter. VVhether there be any Sorcerers, that is to say, of this sort of satanicall vvitches.

BUt you promised, Theophilus, that you would proue by sure and firme reasons, that there are Sorcerers in [Page] the world, that is to say, of the order and kinde of diuelish witches.

I promised in deed so to do, & I am redy, if it please you, to performe the same.

Doo so then, for I could ne­uer think it to be so vnto this presēt, neither yet can beleue it, vnlesse you persuade mée.

I will doo myne endeuour, for the foundaciō wherof, this I say. There are thrée only meanes & places to proue a­ny thing, yea although it seeme altogether incredible, which thrée thinges be these: Aucthoritie of men, experience of the thing, & reason founded vpon vpright iudgement of mynd, which places wil all confirme our opinion, not one only, although one were sufficient. And first as touching aucthori­tie, there are playne and euident testimo­nies to be gathered out of holy scriptures, and also out of other aucthours, most eui­dently cōfirming, y^t there are such kindes of witches in y^e world, which we cal diuelish sorcerers. Answere mée, Anthony, doe you agrée with the most holy word of God?

God forbid, Theophilus, that I should disagrée from the same.

Therin do you wel: for as we are [Page] taught in the second Epistle of S. Peter the first Chapter and xix. verse. The scripture, wherin the word of God is contayned, is the most sure light and truth, which is also inspired from aboue, as witnesseth S. Paul in the second Epistle to Timothe the third chapter and xvi. verse, which notwithstan­ding the Atheistes of our age do despise, and contemne.

From those do I vtterly dis­agrée, Theophilus, and through the grace of God, do I throughly beléeue and yéeld to that holie word.

The same woord of God (which you acknowledge & confesse to be most certen & most true) hath confirmed, y^t of auncient tyme there haue bin of this kinde of Satanicall witches and Sorce­rers, which declareth sufficiently that there are certen such witches. Looke in the olde testament in the xviii. chapter of Deutero­nomie, looke in the xxvii. Chapter and ix. verse, of Ieremie, vpon which place Sainct Ierome thus writeth, And Malefici, which we may call VVitches, or suche as obey the illusions of the diuell, whiche are called in the Hebrue tongue Cassaphim. Read [...] [Page] Micheas the .v Chapter & .xii. verse, where as suche witches are ioyned with de­uinours and Magicians. Reade the .lviii. Psalme, and the .viii. verse. Read Nahum the Prophete the .iii. Chapter & .iiii. verse, and such other lyke plac [...]s. And if also you would haue the same prooued vnto you out of the new testament (which is the second part of holy Scripture.) Reade the Epi­stle of Sainct Paul to the Galathians, the third Chapter, and first verse. Likewyse the .v. Chapter and .xx. verse, whereby the most approued and best learned Interpre­tours, both olde & new, do as it were by one consent, agrée, y^t there be certen sorcerers, which by diuellish meanes & practizes, doe hurt the myndes, bodies, & liues of men.

You haue recited vnto me ve­ry many places, which at leasure I will reade at home, and conferre together.

As touching other aucthours aswell ecclesiasticall as profane wryters, who so would recite them all, shal see they be infinite, proouing & affirming, notwith­standing all of them, that there are certen sorcerers, of which I think it not necessa­ry to recite all, but onely certen of them.

You must studie to be briefe, & for my part I wilbe content with a few.

Of ecclesiasticall wryters, in nūber of whom I comprehend those bookes of holy Scripture, which are called Apo­cryphi, I must first bring foorth for wyt­nesse the booke of Wisedom, the .xij. chap. & .iiij. verse. Bicause they vsed fortune tel­ling and vvitchcraft (sayth he, speaking of the Cananites) and vvicked sacrifices. Se­condly, the counsel of Carthage, also the se­cōd of Cōstantinople which was in Trul­lū, the .lx. article: Wheras namely & plain­ly mēcion is made of these kinde of witch­es, & their wickednesse is termed, deadly witchcraft. Thirdly, I wil bring forth Au­relius Augustine to witnesse, cheefly in his CC. & .vij. sermon, of y^e time which he ma­keth, w^t great affection against such kinde of men, whom also he calleth enchaunters: shewing howe they worke their f [...]ates by ayde of the Diuell, making some y^t are in health to be sicke, & some that are sick to be whole. Moreouer, y^e same August. in the .7 treatise vpō y^e gospel of s. Iohn, doth plainly accurse al such which work by enchātmētz, bindings, & other strange meanes of our e­nemie, [Page] which is the Diuel, therby hurting both men & other thinges. And fourthly to conclude, Trithemius Abbot of Spanhem, hath writtē & set forth an whole boke of y^e same argument, wherin he answereth vn­to those questiōs which wer propoūded vnto him by Maximiliā, emperour of y^e Ger­manes, great graūdfather vnto him which liueth at this presēt. What? besides this wil you heare Anthony, other testimonies of other men, yea lawes thēselues? Ther is an aūciēt & wel known law of y^e .12. tables, which punishid these witches, who as was said could remoue corne frō one field into another, of which law Plynie writeth in y^e 28. booke of y^e natural history, the .2. chap. Is ther not also another Romane law of lesse antiquitie thē y^e lawes of y^• 12. tables, called Lex Cornelia, Vide ma nut. de leg. 237. which cōdēneth & greuously punisheth the same kind of people? Among y^e Emperours of Constātinople, Leo, in a certen cōstitution of his, which is y^e 6 [...]. doth y^e same. Finally Virgil, a man wel seene in al kind of knowlege, both in y^e .3. Eclogue, & also in y^e .8. testifieth y^t there are such: y^t I may ouerpas Troilus de Malueto, a great Lawier, and Martin Arlaeus a Deuine, [Page] with me, and those welnigh innumerable, which liued in later tyme, then the aboue named, testifying al for a trueth, that there are some of this kinde of detestable diuel­lish witches. These be witnesses sufficiēt, or els I know not what is sufficient.

Yea surely, they be moe wit­nesses then I would wel de [...]ier. But gētle Theophilus, I pray you put me out of this one doubt, which much troubleth me.

What is that?

This forsooth, for that S. Ie­rome, a man of no small accompt, in his Commentaries vpon y^e Epistle of S. Paul to y^e Galathians, the .iii. Chap. & first verse, (which place you alleaged erewhile, for cōfirmation of your opinion) séemeth flatly to deny that Paul euer ment y^t there were any Sorcerers, notwithstanding that hée wryteth thus: O ye foolish Galathians, vvho hath bevvitched you? But therein S. Paul speaketh according to the common custome of men and vulgare opinion, not that he beléeued or knewe that there were any such at all.

Truely Anthony you haue perfectly recited without booke y^e m [...]aning [Page] of S. Ierome, and surely at the first Ierome in déede séemeth to be of the same opinion, but afterwarde vpon the same he addeth a nother thing, and straightwayes chaūgeth his opinion, which that you may the better perceiue, I haue here copied foorth y^e whole place. Bewitching (sayth sainct Ierome) is sayde properly to hurt infantes, and such as are but of tender yeares, and not perfectly able to goe alone. VVhereuppon a certen heathen wryter hath sayd, I know not sure what eie bewitched hath my tēder Lambes. This whether it were truely spokē or not, God knoweth. For it may be, that Diuell [...] may be redy to accomplish this wickednes, turning thē away from their good workes [...] vvhom soeuer they see to beegin or to pro­cede in fulfilling the worke of god. So that this may be the cause that we suppose this exāple to haue been taken, vpon the opi­nion of the common people. By which woordes it appeareth how doubtfull & vn­certen that man was in this poynt, being also in some other places of the same com­mentaries, very sharply & iustly blamed: as namely by Augustine of s. Paules lye, y^t no man may think it strange, if in this [Page] place he ether did amisse, or forgat himself. But admit y^• Ierome were of y^• opinion, notwithstāding other no lesse graue & lear­ned interpretours of y^e place, doo write o­therwise, & gather out of this place of S. Paul, y^t there be sorcerers. Of which opiniō was Chrisostome, an approued writer, w^t others also of later yeares. As for August. who in no respect is inferior to Ierōe, what he hath written, we haue shewed before.

These doo satisfie me, Theoph. neither require I any moe mens testimo­nies, but performe y^e whch you promised, which is y^e seconde proofe of your opinion. Teach me, I say, that it is founde out by experience, y^t there are Sorcerers.

You require of me but y^• which is due, & you remēber euery thing in order, wherefore I wil briefly comprise all in a worde or two.

Procéede then.

Now, as cōcerning experiēce, & that most certen & true, thus much I say, y^t in al ages it hath bin obserued & founde, y^• ther hath béen alwaies some which haue vsed this diuellish arte & meanes to entox­icate men. For els, why should there haue [Page] béen lawes writtē against thē, if there had neuer bin any such at al? why should their punishmēts haue béen appointed? For ther are no laws set forth to repres any crimes y^t are not. & there is one selfesame iudge­mēt to be geuē by y^e ciuile law, on thinges y^t are not: as on thinges y^t appéere not, as y^e lawiers doo teach. When y^e question was demaūded of y^e most wisest lawmaker of y^e Atheniās, Solon, why he wrote no lawes a­gainst such as slewe their fathers: answe­red, that he thought y^t ther would neuer be any such. So verely, both before y^e birth of Christe, & also sithence, hath this kinde of witches bin cōmonly abroade in y^e world. And y^t they were before Christe, sufficiētly & most faithfully y^• most holy man of God Moyses witnesseth, who by cōmaundment of God maketh mēcion of thē & condēneth thē, namely in Exod. y^e .22. chap & .9. verse. In Leuit. the 19. chap. & .31. verse: & likewise in the .20. chap. & .27. verse: In the booke of Nūb. the .23. cha. the .28. verse: In Deu. y^e .18 cha.. & .11. verse. Some write y^• Zoroastes, a man of y^e cūtry of Persia, a great Magiciā, & expert in the iudiciarie Astrologie, first of all men founde and practized witchcraft, [Page] and afterwardes taught it to other, who were al of thē Idolaters, as he was. Now that there were also some of the same sort since y^e incarnatiō of Christ, infinite histo­ries beare record, and the sundry reportes of men in wryting touching the same, the sentences also of Iudges geuen vpon them are witnesses, lawes likewise and punish­ments published against thē doe beare re­cord, established aswell by the Ciuile lawe as y^e Canon, being at this day, both whole Titles, & Rubrikes foūde written against that kinde of crime, like as appeareth in Gratianes Decree, causa .xxvi. quest. i.ii.iii.iiii. &. v. Moreouer, these sortes of witches haue alwayes been well knowne in our countrey of Fraunce, which to be trew, the innumerable actes of Parliament against thē dooe testifie, which many learned m [...]n haue gathered together of y^e mat [...]er. But cheefly a certen famous & solemne cōdem­natiō of articles & opiniōs, made by a Sor­bonist of Paris, vnder Charles the .6. king of Fraunce, in the yeare of our Lord .1398. maketh much to the proofe of our opiniō: which opinions, the schollars of y^e vniuer­sitie commonly professed in Paris. Yea, & [Page] hath not this our age seene many witches condemned of witchcraft?

Can you shewe mée the cause Theophil. why it should so be in our time?

Truely it is the terrible iudgement of God agaynst vs, the cause whereof is vnknowne vnto vs: For the iudgementes of God, although they be hid from vs, yet are they iust and holy, as it appeareth in the xxv. Psalme and x. verse, most truely & godly in the like argument, and as S. Augustine sayeth, in his worke of Deuinacion of Diuels.

How thē, hath God any iuster cause to punish men in this our age, thē he had in foretime, thrée hūdred yéeres agoe▪

Yea surely Anthony, grea­ter then heretofore, how much the more the worlde at this present doth more shame­fully, and obstinately reiect the woord of God, and the reuealed light thereof: For how much the more men doe now a dayes shewe themselues vnthankfull towardes God: the more iust cause God taketh to forsake them, and geue them ouer vnto Sa­tan, to reuenge the contempt of his name. So that in these dayes, wherein is séene a [Page] most gréeuous & pitiefull rebellion of men against Gods true doctrine, Satan hath re­ceyued y^e power frō God to allure thē vnto him, and to sifte them, and there is geuen vnto him the very effect and force of errour to deceiue, intrappe, and leade away many, as the spirite of God hath long since wit­nessed it should bée, in the seconde to the Thessalonians, the second Chapter & tenth verse, and that God would geue him the power and gift to deceyue, that men should geue credence to Satan, and to lyes, and such should bée damned as beléeued not the trueth, but haue yéelded to vnrighteous­nes, bicause they haue not embraced the loue of the trueth that they might be saued.

But some there be that hold opinion, that al these thinges which are re­ported of Sorcerers, are but deuised, & fey­ned: and if any such thing doe chance, they come only by some sicknes of the mynd, or by reason of some melancholicke humour these appearances & fansies trouble them, not being any tokens or signes of the iuste iudgement of God against men.

But truely they be very much deceiued frende Anthony, & no lesse [Page] then those which supposed that the madde men and possessed with diuels, which liued in the time of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ, and were by him healed, were none other then men sick and troubled with me­lancholick, & chollerick diseases: whose opi­niō is altogither blasphemous, for thei take away y^e certentie of the christian faith, and deny the deuine nature of our Lord Iesus Christ, repugning & lying against y^e trueth of y^e thing: for how could y^e diuels haue spo­ken w^t in their bodies, or w^t so great force haue gone out of y^e possessed persons, & haue torne y^e members & partes of their bodies, if these thinges were but mere dreemes of troubled minds, & fansies, & only fits of me­lācholick diseases? So are sorcerers plainly miserable slaues vnto Satan, & in subiecti­on vnto him, him doe they worship, to him doo they cōmit themselues, yea & offer vnto him cādles of waxe in token of honour. Yet some of thē doo séeme far more abiecte & fil­thily seruisable. For when Satan sheweth himself vnto them in y^e likenes of a man, y^e which is to shamful to speak, they kisse his buttocks, which thīg certē of thē afterward haue frāckli cōfessed thēselues to haue don. [Page] And therefore it hapneth vnto them, that they be deliuerd ouer into so reprobate sense of mynde, that God punisheth them most iustly, who, as I haue declared, doe most obstinately and vnthankfully, eyther despise Christes gospel which is offred vn­to them, or when they haue receiued it, and vnderstood it, they taste thereof very cold­ly and lightly. In which twoo poyntes the most greatest, and gréeuous contempt of God is perceiued. Howbeit, frende Antho­ny, mée thinketh I may truely say this much, y^e like as our Lord God purposed to ennoble and celebrate the first comming of his only begotten sonne Iesus Christ, and minding to make the same famous and re­nowmed throughout all the world, would haue that there should be at that present many possessed with Diuels, limatick per­sons, blinde, dumbe, & deafe, whom Christ should restore to health, and whom the fa­ther did in such wise prepare for the sunne therehence, for him to reape glorie: so in this our age, wherein by his great and in­comprehensible benefites towardes man­kinde, as a special gift, he hath restored vn­to vs the light of his holy gospell, of very [Page] iustice he will haue it, that moe despisers of this reuealed light, rather at this day, then before, fall into the snares of Satan, and become Sorcerers, that is to say, ad­dicted vnto Satan, and that they which de­spise God may be the more terrefied by ex­ample of these wretches: and the Godly which with true faith embrace the gospel, may more earnestly praise god, and in con­sideration of so great a benefit bestowed vpon them, yéeld vnto god the greater than­kes, iudging their owne state to be blessed, since by the singular benefit of God, they are deliuered from so great a mischéefe, and so great power of the Diuel. Doe you now vnderstand, frende Anthony, why there be now a dayes moe witches, and Sorce­rers, then were heretofore?

Yea verely Theophilus, and I geue you thankes for telling it vnto me. But now to thintent I may be throughly confirmed in your opinion, adde hereunto your third argument, which as you sayd▪ consisteth in the reason of vpright iudge­ment.

You put me well in mynde thereof, for I had almost let that passe: But [Page] now I will take it in hand. Reason of vp­right and sincere iudgement, willeth vs to beleue y^t there be Sorcerers. The same is this, wheresoeuer is the true and efficient cause of any thing, there is it necessary also that y^e effect doe follow. For example sake, wheresoeuer the Sunne is, there is both light & day, bicause the Sunne is true and efficient cause of both. Wheresoeuer the Northerne winde bloweth, there it is cold, bicause y^e winde is ingenderer of coldnesse. And to apply this generall assumption to our present argument: thus doe the Philo­sophers teach vs, which are conuersant in searching & declaring y^e causes of thinges: such causes as are endued w^t soule & will, if wil & power doo there meete togither to doo any thing, necessarily and immediately theron ensueth the effect. For example. If a man be hungrie, and haue bread lying by him, he will eate: if he be a thirst, and haue drinke nere, he wil drinke: if he be a colde, and he be brought to a fyre, he will warme himself. For by this meanes he hath both a will and abilitie: wherefore we must ne­cessarely conclude y^t he will doe it. Doubt­lesse Satan is the cause of these witches, [Page] and intoxicatiōs. He hath both a desire and abilitie ioinct to doo that mischief, to drawe men vnto him, and to lincke them vnto him, (this power being geuen vnto him by the iust iudgement of God ouer rebellious men) wherefore it is not to be doubted, but that he would win & enforce them to that kinde of wickednes. On which point, that I may the more largely discourse, this much I think you will graunt me, Antho­ny, y^t there haue alwayes bin vnbeleuing men in the world, that is to wit, not know­ing God out of his word, or not regarding him when they knew him.

You may well presume so much, séeing we sée to many of that sort.

Neither will you also deny this, that Satan since the time he renoun­ced his first originall, and was made a Diuell, alwayes applyed this, and as much as in him lay, indeuored to plucke a­way men from knowledge of the true god, & frō their assured hope of saluatiō, finally, to make thē cōtēne & refuse y^e promises of god, persuading thē to yéeld & geue ouer thē selues vnto him, whō he sawe to be cold in the worshipping of god, & necligent in em­bracing [Page] his promises.

You say trueth, for Satan is like a roaring Lyon, who alwayes run­neth about seking whom he may deuoure, and pul from God, as sayeth S. Peter. The first of Peter, the v. chapter, and viii. verse.

You well remember the place, Anthony, and the same is the cause why he is also in the Reuelation called the olde Serpent, in the xx. chapter, and second verse, which is to say, the cōmon & sworne enemy of mankinde, as our sauiour Christ sayeth, in the xiii. chapter of Mathew, the xxviii. verse, working and bringing to ef­fect, chiefly in the children of vnbeleefe, whatsoeuer he will or lifteth, as sayth S. Paule, the second chapter to the Ephesians, the ii. verse. For y^e wrath of God commeth vpon stubburne men. Now therefore, since by all these places it is euident that Satan hath a will and desire to drawe men away from the feare and faith of God: it remay­neth now that we see whether he haue po­wer also to pull them away.

Then shall your whole rea­son be concluded and ended. But I pray you, Theophilus, hath Satan so great po­wer [Page] ouer men that he can plucke them frō God, and pull them to himselfe, being the creatures of God, made according to his Image, and specially seruing vnto his onely glory?

Truely Anthony, I con­fesse, that Satan coulde neuer haue had that power, vnlesse it were geuen vnto him by almighty God, which by this most iust meanes doth punish them, which most vnthankefully and wickedly dooe forsake him. Howbeit, we are not able to shew the reasō why God deliuereth this man more then that man vnto Satan, and wyll haue him be myslead, more then to say that this is the iust wyl of God, which hath so deter­mined: Notwithstanding, there was ne­uer yet any Sorcerer, but he was lead a­misse through his owne fault, and vnlesse wittingly and willingly he had renounced God his creatour, and maker, the aucthour of his lyfe, and geuer of all good thinges whom he forsaketh, and most impudent­ly and most trayterously refuseth to take him for his God, if he betake himselfe to Satan, and become a Sorcerer.

Is this credible which you [Page] say, Theophilus, that any man would re­noūce his God, & not onely geue eare & be­come obediēt vnto Satan, whom he know­eth surely to be Satan, but also become his seruant and bondslaue?

This is to true, for so doo they al of thē, whosoeuer become sorcerers. For after y^e Satan hath once talken w^t them, whom he goeth about to win & ouerthrow: he then afterwarde openly confesseth y^t he is Satan, & the very Diuell: of whom the scripture maketh mencion. Wherefore he cōmaundeth them to forswere God theyr creator & al his power, promising perpetu­ally to obey & worship him, who there stā ­deth in their presence, that they shall ac­knowledge him for their god, cal vpō him, pray to him, & trust in him. Then biddeth he thē that they fall down & worship him, after what maner and gesture of body he pleaseth, and best liketh of. Thus some of them fall downe at his knées, some offre vnto him black burning cādles, other kisse him in some part of his body where he ap­peareth visibly, other after others fashiōs, as he commaundeth to be done.

O how iustly & deseruedly are [Page] these wretched & detestable men thus pu­nished of god, whom they doe so wickedly, fals [...]y, and wittingly renounce, being their creatour, father, and sauiour? wherefore now I meruayle no more at it.

For this cause which I haue recited, God geueth Satan so great power ouer them, as I haue shewed: First of the Kinges .22. chap. the .22. verse. And vnlesse God did geue it, surely Satan should haue no power at all.

In all this your discourse, I haue perceaued nothing to be so far from trueth, as some suppose. And truly I much meruayle, why they cannot persuade thē ­selues that there be witches, and Sorce­rers.

I wyll yet ad one thing, that I may at length conclude this whol [...] mat­ter, namely, howe men doe become such kynde of people, vpon diuers and sundry causes. Some through great distrust in y^e promises & loue of God towardes them, other moued with exceding & horrible va­nitie of mynde, & ouermuch curiositie, doe fal into the same vice, toto loftily despising the measure and degrée of humane nature. [Page] This, how true in déede it is, you may be­hold: for some are made sorcerers through hope of sufficiencie to sustaine their pouer­tie, to whom Satan promiseth whole mountaynes of Gold, as y^e prouerbe sayth. Such of lykelihoode lacked mony to supply the ordinary charges of theyr housholde, or els were farre in debt, so that they gaue themselues vp willingly to the Diuell, in hope of mony. Others seing thēselues op­pressed by some of more power, & not ha­uing abilitie to defende themselues, & not able to abide or put vp the iniuries doone vnto them, haue desiered helpe of Satan, (who is very ready to reuenge & doo mur­ther) and with willing myndes haue sub­mitted themselues vnto him, and become his slaues. Which two sortes of men, hau [...] fallen onely vnto suche wickednesse through great distrust y^e god doth not loue thē, nor wil help them, as though God had forsaken thē, & would not help thē in theyr aduersitie. By these meanes many are ca­ried away by satan, specially coūtrey men, ignorāt, & poore people, & such as are iniu­ried, being willing to be made Sorcerers. Other some there be, who being borne a­way [Page] w^t fonde vanitie of a proude mynde, whyle they are not able to containe them­selues within the compas of mans vnder­standing & capacitie, doo yéelde themselues vassals to Satan, being desierous to know thinges to come, & to foretel them to other: or els ambitiously desiering easely & with smal trauayle to dooe those thinges which other cannot. By which meanes, many both of the honourable, and learned sorte, are seduced by satan, as certen noble men & women of worship & honour, and many schollars: Whom all, God iustly hath pu­nished, for that they haue refused him, and wittingly vowed thēselues to the Diuel.

Now verely Theophil. I doo fully persuade my selfe, y^t there are diuel­lish witches, & Sorcerers, & that there are certen intoxications by thē cōmitted▪ But I beseche you resolue me also in this one thing: In what kynd of things can they ex­ercise & powre forth their satanical poisōs?

I am willing so to doo, but so farre & no farther then I haue learned out of true histories. For I lyke not of theyr trauayl, who in handling of this argumēt, falling into discourse of olde wyues tales, [Page] haue painefully reported them in theyr great volumes.

¶The .iij. Chapter. In vvhat kindes of thinges Sorcerers can cast their poysons, to hurt them.

THat shalbe sufficient for me, for I am not delighted with those chil­dish toyes. How thē Theophilus, can this kynde of people cast their diuellish poysons and intoxications vppon men, or brute beastes? What, can they in­fect with their Sorceries the Ayre, Wa­ter, Herbes, and make hauocke vpon all thinges, as themselues doe playnely con­fesse, that they haue corrupted the Ayre of certen cities, and the whole soyle about, by their Artes?

This may stande with good reason, frende Anthony, like as you sée, that he that can cast down an huge Giant, he may wel ouerthrow a young childe, that is weake and feeble: Euen so, he that can [Page] hurt a man with poyson, can much more hurt any other thing For man is a prudēt creature, wise, prouident, foreséeing daun­gers, created to the Image and likenesse of God. He that can deceaue & hurt him, wyll confesse y^t he can much more easely intoxi­cate a brute beast without vnderstanding: as is a Horse, a Shéepe, an Oxe, a Cowe, which cannot so diligently prouide & looke to themselues in daungers, as can a man. And he y^e can infect a brute beast, can much more bewitch an Hearbe, a Trée, Corne, the bolt of a doore, the scales of a ladder, Wyne, Water, and the Ayre. All which thinges we touch & handle when we lyst. And ouer all these things Sorcerers haue power so farre as it pleaseth God, through them to reuenge the contempt of himselfe vpon men, and to punish our offences.

Then haue they power ouer e­uery thing, neither is there any thing, so farre as I can perceaue, that can escape their poysoning, and witchcraft.

Forasmuch as these witches be diuellish & very crafty, truely they are a­ble to infect with their poyson whatsoeuer is in y^e earth that is corruptible & mortall, [Page] vnlesse it be preserued by God. And there is nothing in this inferior worlde which is not of that sort, that is to wyt, mortall & corruptible. Wherefore we must néedes confesse, that their Arte hath power ouer all these inferiour thinges.

Shew me some examples of these thinges, gentle Theophilus.

I wyll doo so. And first it is most certen they haue power ouer men, for that we dayly behold, whilst some they kyll with their poysons, & some they make sicke and past recouery. I haue séene them, who with onely laying their handes vpon a nurses breastes, haue drawne foorth all the milke, and dryed them vp. I haue séene, that haue caused vnto some most greuous paine of the Cholick, wringinges in the belly, the Goute, the Palsie, the Apoplexie, that haue also made men lame and fee­ble, and caste them into other diseases, whiche neither themselues afterwarde, neither yet most excellent learned Phisi­tions could knowe, or cure. And these sor­cerers dooe cruelly rage vpon all men, of all genders, ages, & orders, without choice or exception. What shall I saye more? [Page] The seruantes and plouwmen if they bée angrie, will intoxicate their maisters. And as for beastes and cattell, they poyson them to death sundrie wayes: and if they be dis­posed, they will not kill them forthwith, but make them swell, or make them leane and pine away, in such wise that there is nothing worse or more hurtfull then their wickednesse. Moreouer, they will enchaunt wilde beastes, and make them stand still that you may take them in your hand, as it is written in y^e lviii. psalme, the v. verse: as the Serpentes, and Aspes. Although S. Augustine in the xi. booke of Gene. vpon the letter, the xxviii. chapter, writeth that it may be done by Satan most easily vpon a Serpent or Snake, bicause that by his conference and familiaritie with the Ser­pent, at the beginning mankinde was se­duced, as if this were the serpentes punish­ment, in recompence of his seruice, to bée more subiect and bounde at the call & com­maundement of Satan: Howbeit, experi­ence it self teacheth, that that which is done in him, may likewise be done by sorcerers in all other liuing thinges. For the holy scripture in the third of Genesis doeth not [Page] set downe vnto vs, that the serpent is more addicted or subiect to Satan, then the other beastes. In fine, all this reason and dispu­tation of S. Augustine, in my iudgement, is ouer subtile. And as for Herbes, Trées, with their berries and fruites, and all such like thinges, truely they may be by them intoxicated, which that notable saying of Virgil, procéeding from dayly experience, sheweth in the viii. Ecloge.

And Corne fieldes into other place I saw them to remooue. Uppon which place Seruius Honoratus, a very wel learned in­terpretour, as also Pliny in y^e place which I haue before alleaged, doe shewe what pu­nishment was apointed by lawe of the xii. tables against them that had enchaunted corne fieldes. And as touching Ayre, & wa­ter, what may be more easily corrupted thē they? so y^t those elementes shall neither bée holsome nor profitable to any, yea, rather [Page] pestiferous & hurtfull. For sufficient proofe whereof, may bee that only some pestilent smell or vapour doth in such wise infect an whole regiō through which it breatheth, y^e most gréeuous and infectious diseases are thereby engendred. Did you neuer I pray you, here talke what hath chaūced in Cam­pania a part of Italy, and how the whole re­giō in which y^e place called Auernus (which is a hollow caue vnder ground, frō which a lothsome & hot stinking sauor issueth forth) sendeth abroad his exhalation, is so noy­some, y^t the birdes which flye néere to it doo fall downe dead, with the only stinck of the place? what shal I say of Mare mortuum or the dead sea (which is so called in Iudaea,) whose breath is so pestilent & hurtful, y^t all the coast néere about lyeth waste and for­lorne, the trées are scorched, the ground is barren & vnfruteful by reason of y^e sauour?

I remember I haue read al these thinges: but tell mée if there were euer any mencion made in any history, that the Ayre was corrupted by this kinde of people?

Yea mary, & first in the history of Calisthus Nicephorus the ecclesiasticall [Page] writer, who in the xiiii. booke y^e xviii. chap­ter, telleth how the Percian Magicians, to thintent they would make the Christian religion odious vnto their King, caused a rotten stinking and pestilent smell to ryse out of that place, in which Maruthas bishop of the Christian Church, & the other chri­stian Percians, met togither to make their prayers vnto God.

Why the ayre moueth con­tinually, and is alwayes through blowne and driuen about with the winde, that it cannot foister nor stād still: which mouing causeth that such infection can neuer bréed in the ayre.

The water lykewise run­neth continually, which notwithstanding, you will graunt, may bée corrupted. And looke by what meanes the water may bée corrupted: by the same also may be y^e ayre, bicause that filthie sauour is dispersed and spred abroad through them both, which na­turall elementes are thinne, and vnable to resist. For both of them are easily corrup­ted, by reason that they do soone admit and yeeld to the external qualitie. As for exam­ple, the self same water wilbe soone hot, and [Page] soone colde: the ayre in one day is hot, in the same warme, and cold, which thing we doe most euidently perceiue in the spring, and Autumpne: For the selfsame ayre is then found in the morning colde, at noone hot, and at euening warme. And the ayre being more thin and liquide then the wa­ter, and more vnable to resist, is sooner and more easily affected by externall and agent qualities.

Surely there are some that cannot beléeue that these can doe such thin­ges, but rather that through great folly and ostentation of their arte and abilitie, they craftely make bragges thereof, to make men afrayd of them: or else that through madnesse they boast of it, for that some of them being troubled with Melancholicke diseases, haue some times imagined that they could doe the like.

In déede I confesse Antho­ny, that God first wrought the same, who by this meanes, and by these men as his instruments, punisheth the synnes of men: but notw^tstanding I deny y^t which they af­firme, that these thinges are alwayes false dreames of diseased myndes, when Sorce­rers [Page] say they infect the ayre: which in déed they doo so often, and truely, which may thus be prooued: First that no cogitation or imagination of another man, can be fealt and perceyued of vs, neyther can actual­ly as they say, hurt our bodie. Imagine that you had killed mée, and suppose it in your mynde as earnestly as you can, shall my good health therefore be altered, or in any poynt diminished? Surely not at all. For no mans false or vaine imagination is able to infect, or bring diseases vpon any other mans body. But we féele how sorcerers ef­fectually bring diseases, we sée also howe they haue caused plagues, & those most grée­uous, with other such like effectes, which cannot be denyed. Moreouer in the midst of their paines & tormentes, they confesse they haue done such things, specially when they be lead to executiō for such crimes. Final­ly, the consent & agréement which is found among thē al, confirmeth our opinion. For in vayne cogitations & fansies of y^e mynde, there cannot be one selfsame voyce, but one man may imagine a diuerse thing from another. For euery mynde hath his owne proper action, neither is it possible y^t among [Page] so many m [...]n, and dispersed abrode in so many places, one whole conformitie and consent of vaine cogitations, not agréeing in place, tyme, nor maner of dooing, could concord, agrée, or be correspondent, vnlesse these thinges chaunced so, and were in déed as they doo report. Yea moreouer, they doo this which I wil tell, a thing passing mer­uelous, they wil tie a knot vpon a point, as our cuntreymen speake, that is to say, they can hinder and binde maryed couples that they shal not pay their due one to the other, or at leastwise that one of them shall not.

What is y^t you say, Theophil?

It is euen as I tell you Antho­ny. For if they be able w^t their poysons to impaire y^e good helth of men, to diminish y^e strength & force of y^e body, weakē y^e sinnes, dull y^e senses, & to distemper y^e inward hu­mours: what merueile is it if they can hin­der y^e vertue & acte of generation, which is contayned w^tin y^e bodie in certen vessels of seed, either by casting in by their venim an ouer coldnes of the vessels, or else raysing a certen hatred or misliking one of y^e other betwéene man & wife▪ whom in suchwise they doo trouble, which I doo easily graūt y^e [Page] they doe by Satanicall artes, yet doe they it, to thintent they may sow discorde and con­tencion betwéene them, betwéene whom ought to be sounde and great agréement. Thus these wicked men reuenge them­selues, bicause they hate them whom they doe so molest, although vndeseruedly and without cause, but to the imitacion and ex­ample of Satan their master, they reioyce to sowe cockle among men. Mathew the xiii. Chapter .xxxix. verse. Iohn the third Chapter, and x. verse.

Haue you any examples, or argumentes to confirme your saying?

Yea, I haue both. And as for examples, they are almost infinite, dayly hapning, and conuersant before our eyes. And as touching testimonies & argumēts, I haue that are most sure. First S. Augu­stine, amōg the sundry meanes of hurting, which he attributeth vnto Sorcerers, in the vii. treatise vpon S. Iohn, reciteth bin­dinges, whereof this binding is a kinde, of which we now speake. Moreouer y^t which Virgil, prince of Poetes, and best learned of all the learned of his time, in the eight Ecloge prooueth the same. For this is ta­ken [Page] from dayly experiēce which he sayth:

The same also is cōfirmed by the Canon, Si. Per. which is the last .xxxiij.j. question in the Decrée. And if Sorcerers can let & hinder the nourishing facultie of the soule, as Thomas Aquinas, in the .i. Sum. the .iij. quest. & iiij. article, largely disputeth, & pro­ueth: by the same meanes also they may corrupt & hinder the engendring facultie.

You driue me to that exigent, that I knowe not what to say, or whyther to turne my selfe.

What if I should also ad that, which will séeme much more merue­lous, which notwithstāding S. Augustine and Apuleus doe credibly wryte, yet am I of opinion that it can not be so.

What is that?

Forsooth, that Sorcerers can chaunge men into other formes & shapes, y^t is to wit, into wolues, Beares, & Asses.

I pray you doth S. Augustin [...] wryte so?

Yea truly Anthony, reade y^e 17. & 18. Chapter of his worke De Ciuitate dei, where S. Augustine reporteth, that many both heathen men and Christians haue sayd, that they were so transfourmed, specially one Daniaenetus, and Praestans, with many other moe.

Surely that can not bée, that an euyl spirite or Diuell can chaunge our nature or being, as they call it. For this is y^e only propertie and power of God, that as he hath created the natures of thinges, so is he able to chaunge them: which Satan cannot doe by any meanes, neither by himself, nei­ther by his seruantes the Sorcerers.

You say trueth, and so sainct Augustine also writeth in another place. Howbeit they that say they were so trans­fourmed, they doo but suppose that some­time they liued so, yet they are deceiued, and those be none other then false fansies and imaginations, which by meanes of some stronge illusion, or great sicknesse, are imprinted in their myndes. But I doo not likewise deny, but that Satan brin­geth [Page] some into that persuasion, which that hée may bring to passe, hée bringeth a sléepe and blyndeth their outward senses, then bringeth hée into their imagination sundry fourmes of thinges, which he im­printeth so effectually within their trou­bled myndes and humoures, that they thinke themselues in déed to be at that pre­sent & to haue bin such things. So likewise, phisitiōs teach vs y^t there are certē diseases of the bodie, wherein a man shall séeme to himself to be a Woulfe, an Hogge, an Oxe, a Mule, likewise that they bée all made of glasse, or of Waxe, & such other like thing. I haue also séene one that would affirme and sweare, that hée was a Cocke: where­fore the true and vndoubted cause of such illusions, and deceiptions of minde, which may be done by Sorcerers arte, dependeth vpon this, that the humours and tempera­ment of the bodie being distempered, the parties themselues séeme after a sort to be chaunged, and alienated from themselues, by working of the Diuell, that they shall not know any other thinges that are repre­sented vnto them: So that those that be so vexed, doe easily persuade themselues that [Page] they are such as they reporte, which not­witstanding are but mere illusions of the Diuell.

But Nabucadnezar King of Assyrians, was transfourmed into a brute beast, and eate grasse the space of seuen yeares, as it is read in Daniel, the fourth chapter.

So it is. But that is thus to be vnderstoode of Nabucadnezer, that we must not thinke that his humane na­ture was conuerted into the essencie or be­ing of a brute beast. But his conuersation was chaunged, and his mynde and affecti­on, which was wont to be desirous of mās company. Moreouer that we must graunt that all this befell vnto him by the power of almightie God our creatour, and not by Satans meanes (by which onely Sorce­rers doe worke) to haue béene brought to passe: For God is able to take away or change the essēcies or natures of thinges, but Satan is not able. Wherefore those things which are reported, how some men are cōuerted into wolues, are to be iudged most false. Howbeit there be some y^t af­firme such thinges to be doone among the [Page] farre Northerne people, nigh to the riuers Borysthenes, & Tanais. But wheras Varro wryteth, that there is a Lake in Arcadia, ouer which those that doe passe, become Wolues: I think it must thus be vnder­stoode, y^t by reason of the feare which men conceaue in passing ouer y^e most perillous Lake, they thinke thēselues to be wolues: otherwise I would say that all that history is but méere tryfles, and oulde wyues tales.

Hitherto you haue sufficiētly declared ouer what kynd of thinges sorce­rers haue power. Shew me also this one thing, why these wicked men are able to intoxicate & poyson good and godly Chri­stian men, which thing most certen and dayly experience proueth to be true.

The solution of this your de­maunde is easy, fréende Anthony. First, God that is most iust, by that meanes doth punish the sinnes of his childrē. For those whom we terme godly & true Christians, they are many tymes not onely not with­out their infirmities and imperfections, but subiect also vnto gréeuous sinnes and offences, as Sainct Iohn teacheth in the [Page] first Epistle, the first Chapter, the ix. and x. verse. If wee say that wee haue no sinne, wee make God a lyar. Wherefore these are iustly by God punished, besides that by this kinde of crosse and affliction, God tryeth the patience of his chosen: For lyke as hée prooued his seruaunt Iob by the in­iuries of the most vngodly men the Caldes: so doth hee also prooue his beloued people by the witchcraft and poysoning of Sorce­rers, which redoundeth vnto the profit and commoditie of the faithfull. For as Sainct Paule sayth to the Romans the fift Chapter, and third verse. Affliction bringeth pa­tience, patience bringeth probation, proba­tion bringeth hope, which neuer confoun­deth, for the loue of God is sowen in our hartes through the holy Ghost. So that the godly ought patiently to abide these afflic­tions, so to submit themselues to God, and confirme themselues wholy vnto his will and pleasure.

I stucke fast in the water, as the Prouerbe sayeth, and I made a doubt where was none, or which as I perceyue, is easily resolued. And since you haue aptly aunswered mée vnto those thrée [Page] poinctes which I demaunded: namely, what this worde Sortiarius signifieth, whi­ther there be in déed any such, finally, ouer what kindes of thinges these Sorcerers haue power, and can exercise their artes: I beseech you Theophilus, that you will hereto adde the fourth poynte, and declare vnto mée after what manner sort & means they can intoxicate, and put in practize their poysons.

The fourth Chapter. After what sort and meanes Sorce­rers doe intoxicate, and poyson thinges.

WHat Anthony, doe you thinke that I am so expert and conuer­saunt in their art, that I can tell you all that belongeth therto? you remember what protestatiō I made at the enteraunce & beginning of our discourse, that I neuer was acquainted with Satan [Page] or any of these sorcerers, nor neuer minde to be: neither looke I for any prayse, for y^e knowledge of these matters. Howbeit so farre as myne abilitie shall extend, I wyll satisfie your honest request. This therfore is that which you require of me, by what meanes Sorcerers doe worke, and infect thinges with their poyson: wherein I will answere that which is most true, that they doe all these thinges by meanes, instinct, and craft of the most miserable & wicked Satan the Diuell. For this much I dare affirme vnto you, that there is no sorcerer but he maketh a league & couenant with the Diuel, and voweth himselfe vnto him. In confirmation of which vowing, he re­ceaueth in his body some note or marke made and imprinted by Satan in some parte, which he alwayes beareth aboute him, some vnder theyr eye liddes, others betwene their buttockes, some in the roofe of their mouth, and in other places where it may be hid & cōcealed from vs. Although some be of opinion, that all Sorcerers are not priuily pricked and marked by Sa­tan, but those onely of whose constancie towardes him hée standeth in doubt, and [Page] those of whom he do [...]bteth not, are left vn­marked: yet may I say thus more certenly and truely, that there is none of them vpon whom he hath not set some note or token of his power & prerogatiue ouer them: which to thintent the iudges and such as are set in aucthoritie of life and death, and to en­quire of such matters, may the better per­ceiue, let them specially prouide, that when any of these shalbe conuented before them, to poulle and shaue them where occasion shall serue, al the body ouer, least haply the marke may lurke vnder the heare in any place. For they haue made a couenāt with Satan, & themselues for their part agayne haue made him such a promise. Satan in this wise: that they shall acknowledge and worship him for their God: and they on the other side, that Satan shall helpe and de­fend them. So according to couenaunt sa­tan helpeth them, and according to theyr prayers so worketh and doth he for them: and they agayne obey his preceptes, and commaundementes.

Yea, but forasmuch as Sa­tan of his owne nature is a great lyer, yea the father of lyes, will hée kéepe touch and [Page] fulfill his promise, as you haue sayd?

Satan is not alwayes a lyer, though he be alwayes a deceyuer. For of­tentimes he speaketh truth, that he may deceyue those that heare him: and often­times he perfourmeth his promise, bi­cause he will not seeme to be a deceyuer, but rather a teller of truthe. When Sa­tan sayd of our Sauiour Christ, in Marke the .ij. Chapter, the .xxiiij. verse. Thou arte that holy one of God: He sayd true, and lyed not. But what was his mynde then? Forsoothe that they whiche hearde that, should afterwarde be deceyued. And when he sayd as much of Paul and Sillas in the .xvj. chapter of Actes, the .xvij. verse, in these wordes, These men are the ser­uantes of the great God, whiche shewe vn­to you the way of saluation: he sayd true, yet notwithstanding he was a deceyuer, and by that meanes he sought a way to de­ceyue men. So, when Satan kéepeth pro­mise, & performeth those thinges which he hath couenāted with y^e Sorcerers, he doth it to y^e intent that afterward he may more easely & readely seduce thē, & also the more assure [...]ly binde and allye them vnto him.

Procéede then I pray you, & de­clare [Page] the meanes whereby they doo work.

This is almost the maner of ma­king their couenant. First Satā requireth of thē that they do wholly & fully renounce the true God, creator of al thinges, the lord of heauen & hell, & that henceforward they serue him, who there professeth him selfe without dissimulation to be Satan, and that hereafter they depend at his becke and cōmaūdemēt, séeking al their helpe of him. Which renouncing & denying of the true God, with the most abhominable forswe­ring of him, is the first step & entrance to make frendship & agréemēt betwene these wicked men & Satan, and the first bargain of all this busines. Unto these in this de­testable maner being receiued into seruice & slauery to Satā, he then geueth a marke either w^t his téeth or hand, & then willeth euery one to demaunde of him what they would haue him do for thē, teaching them the safest & priuiest wayes to reuenge thē ­selues vpon those whō they hate. Then ge­ueth he pouders, rootes, & poysons vnto thē, ether by himself or by others y^t are there in a redines, y^t they may fréely & safely intoxi­cate whō they list. Then this vngracious & new seruāt of satan, euery day afterward [Page] something of his goods to his patrone, some his dogge, some his hen, and some his cat. In which dooing, there is a greater ratify­ing of their déede, and deniall of the true God, then in their first contract. And to conclude, this is the summe of al their wic­kednesse. But Satan distrusting the con­stancie of his seruauntes, shortly after cal­leth them togither into a Diuelish Sina­goge, and that he may also vnderstand of them howe well and diligently they haue fulfilled their office of intoxicating com­mitted vnto them, & whō they haue slaine: wherefore they méete togither in certen a­pointed places, not al of them togither, nor at once, but certen of them whom he plea­seth to call, so that he apointeth where they shall méete, and at what houre of the day, or of the night: wherein they haue no sure­nes, nor certentie. For these méetinges are not weekely, nor monthly, nor yéerely, but when and how often it shall séeme good to this their maister. And many times him­self warneth them to méete, sometimes hée apoynteth others to warne them in his stéede. But when he doth it himself, he ap­peareth vnto them in likenesse of a man, or [Page] in some other fourme whereby they may know him, in so much that it hapneth ma­ny tymes, that among a great company of men, the Sorcerer only knoweth Satan, that is present, when other doo not know him, although they see another man, but who or what he is, they know not. But when he citeth them to appeare by any of his other disciples and Sorcerers, vnto which appearance both tyme and place is apointed, in which they must resort to their miserable méetinges, and impious Syna­goges, which they call Satanicall Sab­bathes: then doo they méete. And if any chance to pretend, that the iourny is long, or themselues weake and féeble, and that they stand in feare and dread of men, hee answeareth them sufficiently to all their excusations. For he promiseth that himself wil conuay them thither, that are so weak that they cannot trauaile of themselues: which many tymes he doth by meanes of a staffe or rod, which he deliuereth vnto thē, or promiseth to doo it by force of a certen oyntment which he will geue them: and sometimes he offreth them an horse to ride vpon. But if they be yet affraid, he sheweth [Page] them a meanes how they shall goe and not be seene during all the time of the iorney, and come safely thither. In the ende he cutteth away all pretences and excuses of absence, and he sheweth thē these meanes, bicause he woulde seeme to be more lo­uing and carefull ouer them, thereby to make them more bounde and beholding vnto him. Thus whē they méete together he appeareth visibly vnto them in sundrie fourmes, as the head & chiefe of that con­gregation. Sometime he talketh with them in shape of a man, sometime like a most filthy bucke goate, and sometime in other licknesses. Then doe they all repeate the othe which they haue geuen vnto him, in acknowledging him to be their God, thē fal they to dauncing, wherin he leadeth the daunce, or els they hoppe and daunce me­rely about him, singing most filthy songes made in his prayse. Whiche beeing all fi­nished, then he demaundeth agayne of them what they woulde require of him, and what poysons they lacke to intoxicate any man. And as any of them vttereth the cankred request of their poysoned stomack against any man: so doth he shew [Page] them a meanes to reuenge. For vnto some he geueth poysons ready made, and others he teacheth howe to make and mingle new. Unto others he geueth certay [...] to­kens, and charecters, and wordes, or oynt­ments, by vertue whereof he promiseth them they shall foreknowe moste surely thinges to come, and bring to effect what­soeuer they would worke. Finally, if in any thing they néede his presence and helpe, by couenant he promiseth to be pre­sent with them. So that the meanes whereby Sorcerers doe intoxicate, are partly manifest and starke poisons, whose ingredience, as they terme them, are dead­ly and mortiferous, and condemned by the learned Phisitions, for thinges that kil presently: partly they are without poi­son, that we or the Sorcerers themselues can vnderstande of, howbeit they mingle some with them: partly also they put no visible poyson to hurte into them, which is much more maruelous thā any of y^e other twayne aboue specified. Wherfore, if they haue mingled any of y^e manifest & known poisons, they are sone perceiued of y^e Phisi­tions, and are found to be suche, after that [Page] they vnderstand by their cōfession of what stuffe they consist, and are made. And those which they geue, not themselues knowing what they bee, or of what thinges they bee compounded, notwithstanding they conti­neue in hurting. Lyke as although they seeme not to haue myngled any hurtfull poyson, yet cease they not to intoxicate, doo­ing it either only with y^e ayre or breath of their mouth, or else holding a certen roote within their téeth which Satan deliuereth vnto them, which they chawe, & so doo kill and destroy men with only talking with them. And whereas many tymes they in­toxicate them whom they touch not, it may not séeme straunge vnto vs: For then the intoxication is done by Satan himself, pri­uily casting forth or blowing y^e powder or roote vpon them, at the Sorcerers request: which Satan doth according to couenant, as I haue sayd, by reason wherof in certen thinges he is their seruant, and supplyeth vnto them his wicked and cruell atten­daunce.

Truely Theophilus, I was al in a quaking colde, when you tolde euen now those horrible and diuelish thinges. [Page] So God helpe me, I trembled and shooke, they were so woundrous straunge. These then be Satans artes, whereby he bindeth the Sorcerers vnto him.

They are so, Anthony.

But I pray you sir, where haue you learned them?

Out of their confessions al­most infinite, and very like to be true, out of iudgements pronounced agaynst them innumerable, out of whiche a man may commonly gather them.

Howbeit there be thrée points whiche in your former discourse séemed vnto me very obsurde and impossible, which no man will graunt you lightly.

What be they?

First I agrée with you in this, that Satan can appeare vnto men in the shape of a man, which if we should say can not be done: then must we denie the méeting and talking togither of Christe with the Diuell, whereof the Scripture maketh mention in the .iiii. of Mathew, where it is written, how Satan appeared visibly, and in the shape of a man, vnto Christ. Secondly, I wil easely graunt you [Page] that Sorcerers can learne no good thing of Satan, but suche counsels and precepts as proceede from a vile and naughtie dis­position, suche as is, to reuenge himselfe, to intoxicate straungers, to slay men at vnwares, and to minister all these thinges priuelie, none knowing or wit­ting of it. Some also there bée that re­uenge them selues, eyther suche as hate their brothers, beeing the children of the Diuell, as sayth Sainct Iohn, the first of Iohn, the thirde chapter, and tenth verse, as we are on the other side commaunded all by the expresse commaundement of God, to loue all men. Mathew the .v. chap­ter .xliiij. verse. Wherfore I suppose these two poyntes to be true.

Wherin then doe you disa­grée from me, Anthony?

Forsooth in these thrée thinges. First in this, that the Sorcerers say, and you likewise folowing the truthe of their confession doe affirme the same, that ve­rely and corporally they bée present in those assemblies which are called by Sa­tan. Secondly, where you say that they bee caried by Satan vnto those places. [Page] Thirdly, in that whiche you sayde laste, that they can intoxicate men without any mingling of poyson. For I can not per­swade my selfe that any thing can possibly be by méere voyces, wordes, figures, or charecters, hurte, holpen, poysoned, or in­toxicated.

I will answere you order­ly to these thrée poyntes. And as touching the first: Doe you not thinke, Anthony, that Sorcerers doe méete togither, and be present in those their diuelishe conuen­ticles and Synagogues, notwithstanding that they vaunt themselues thereof? How I pray you then doe you thinke it is?

Onely in cogitation of mind, and illusion of the Diuell, like as in our sléepe we thinke that we haue seene many thinges, and to haue beene in suche places where we neuer were: and many times that we haue talken with those that are very farre of from vs, yea perhaps more than two hundred miles. The like whereof happeneth to Sorcerers through crafte of the Diuel, who sundry times also deludeth vs in other matters, in so muche that oftentimes we thinke that we see, [Page] touche, and feele thinges, whiche in deede we neither see, nor feele. And that you shal not thinke that I am of this opinion with­out sufficient reason, I haue many excel­lent learned and auncient men, of myne opinion. Throughout all the discourse of this question, you haue often commended Sainct Augustine. But he in place where he intreateth of the chaunged shapes of men, as in the .xviii. booke de Ciuitate Dei, teacheth, howe thinges that are beléeued and supposed doo so come to passe in déede, for as much as therein that power of the minde which is one of the chiefe fiue, and is termed the Phantasie, and resteth in the foremost part of the brayne, I meane the phantasie, is hurt and disturbed by Satans meanes, and the outwarde senses buried, and by him maruelously troubled. Why then should we not so thinke of the mée­ting and presence of Sorcerers? And if drunken men, when hote vapours ascende out of their stomackes into their brayne, suppose they see such thinges as be absent: and if the sickenesse of melancholie doe persuade many thinges to those that are sicke of that disease, whiche they neyther [Page] doe sée, nor are present: we may thinke and define that these thinges happen to Sorcerers by illusion of Satan, who is of greater force than any of the aboue named causes, to trouble the vertues and powers of the minde, and not to thinke that in déede such thinges be present, or that them selues be in place where they suppose. For Satan is able to hurt & binde the powers of the minde, and strength of the body, as Thomas Aquinas teacheth, and as be­fore him S. Augustine in the .vii. booke of Genesis vpon the letter the .xi. Chapter hath written. Besides this, the same S. Augustine in a certayne Epistle of his vnto his familiar friend Nebridius, which is the .lxxii. in number, distinguisheth the thrée kinds of our fantastical sightes and appearances. The first kinde is of them whiche our fantasie or imagina­tion conceaueth of thinges whiche we haue seene. The seconde kinde is of thinges whiche our fantasie it selfe hath founde out, the lyke whereof it neuer see, nor hearde of before. The thirde kynde is of thinges whyche our imagi­nation conceaueth and deuiseth vppon [Page] the wordes and reporte of other. And these [...]oyes and imaginations of Sorce­rers are of the second kinde, namely when our fantasie of herselfe deuiseth and ima­gineth many thinges. Which that I may more substantially confirme vnto you out of the same Authour, the same S. Augustine in the hundred and one Epi­stle to Euodius of straunge sightes, wri­teth, that when those sightes are so liuely and effectually represented vnto vs, that wee thinke verely wee haue seene them, for all that our soules doe not wander out of our bodies, neyther goe abroade in those places wherein wee thought our selues conuersaunt, but they remayne within our bodies, euen in the same moment wherein they behelde those thinges so euidently: so that it happe­neth by meanes of the obiectes that we see them. In the meane season our bo­dely senses are asleepe within vs, so that they can by no meanes be awaked, while wee bee occupied in this sighte: where­by it happeneth, that afterwarde wee beeing awaked, suppose that wee tal­ked, and dranke, and eate, and sawe [Page] all those thinges. The reason is, be­cause the liuely and effectuall fourme of all those thinges was represented vnto our mynde, wherewith wee were then busied. And examples heereof are com­monly to bee found [...] in the same Sainct Augustine. For in the hundred Epistle, he maketh mention of a certayne Phi­sition of Carthage, called Gennadius, who doubting whether after this life there were another to bée hoped for, sawe the companies of Aungels, and hearde the [...] singing so playnely in his sleepe, that hee thoughte hee was in heauen, whose body notwithstanding lay all the while in the bedde, and remayned in the Chamber, as hee him selfe after­warde confessed. Likewise in the .xviij. booke De Ciuitate Dei, the .xviij. Chap­ter, hee telleth of another, who affirmed for a truth, that he conferred with a certen Platonicall Philosopher in his sléepe, con­cerning Platoes writinges, of whom hee learned the Authours meaning in a cer­tayne place, whiche before he vnderstoode not. In the booke which is intituled, Vitae Patrum, the life of y^e Fathers, it is written [Page] of a certayne father, who not in the night, nor in a dreame, but at midde day, and broade light, when he behelde with his eyes his owne daughter, it seemed to him that he sawe a Cowe, whiche notwith­standing others, and especially Macha­rius, acknowledged and testified that it was a humane creature, and a Uirgin. What Theophilus, haue not you your selfsomtime read in y^e xvj. booke De Diebus Genialibus, whiche are written by Alex­ander Neopolitanus, the .xxi. Chapter, of a certeyne accused person, who thought that he wente downe to hell, whereof he re­ported to the Iudge moste euident te­stimonies? For he discouered and ope­ned a certayne secrete of his, whiche was knowne to no man. What, in the xxvi. Canon of Bishop, the .v. question, whiche was copied foorth of the Coun­sell of Aquilea, is it not there openly pro­nounced, that all these voyces and ima­ginations of Sorcerers are but vayne showes, meere toyes, and illusions of the mynde, whyche Satan, chyefe workeman of suche trumperie, repre­senteth vnto them, theyr bodyes not­withstandyng [Page] remayning styll in the same place? In conclusion, that I may at length shut vp all this place, these bée the wordes either of S. Augustine, or whosoe­uer els was aucthour of that booke, which is intituled De spiritu & litera, where in y^e 28. chapter he writeth thus. VVherefore they foretell certen thinges to come, and worke straunge wonders, whereby they al­lure and seduce men: By meanes whereof certen foolish women turning after Satan, being seduced by fantasies and illusions of Diuels, doo beleeue and professe, how in the night tyme they ryde abroade with Di­ana the Goddesse of the Pagans, or els with Herodias and Minerua, and other multi­tudes of women innumerable, and that they obey their commaundementes. For Satan himself, who transfigureth himself into an Aungell [...]flight, when hee hath possessed the minde of any of those foolish women, and through their infidelitie brought them in subiection vnto him, immediately trans­fourmeth himself into similitudes and re­presentations of sundry persons, and delu­ding the mynde in sleepe which he holdeth captiue, and representing vnto them some­time [Page] mery thinges, sometime sad thinges, sometime knowne persons, sometime vn­knowne persons, leadeth thē about through many straunge places. And when only the vnbeleeuing spirite [...]uffreth these thinges, supposing that they happen neither to the mynde alone, nor to the body alone, is ther­fore ouer foolish and grosse, thinking that to happen to the body, which is but only done in spirite, seeing Ezechiel and the o­ther prophetes, Iohn also the Euangelist, and the Apostles, saw visions in the spirite, and not in the body. What may bee sayd more firmely & plainly on my syde, Theo­philus, and that is more repugnant & con­trary to your opinion? wherein if you doo sufficiently satisfie mée, I will yéeld then vnto your iudgement, wherein you af­firme that Sorcerers be bodely present at their assemblies.

I deny not but that this mat­ter hath bin in great controuersie, Antho­ny, seeming vnto some altogither incredi­ble: and I graunt you this also, that many thinges are by them reported which were neuer done, & that many times y^t they are of opinion, but falsly, y^t they be talking and conuersaunt with those, which are farre di­stant [Page] from them. Al these thinges I graunt not vnwillingly. Howbeit I deny, that you can gather hereof, that which you conclude, that therefore they neuer be present at a­ny assembly, or Synagoge. And therefore they which diffine so peremptorely, y^t the bodies of the Sorcerers are at home, whi­lest they thinke th [...]selues to be conuersant in the midst of y^e stockes of their fellowes: truely they speake ouer boldly, for why? ex­perience it self teacheth otherwise. Haue there not bin many seene, who being pric­ked forwarde w^t to much vain curiositie of minde, haue gone vnto those assēblies, and were bodily presēt in those places where y^e sorcerers haue met togither, frō whēce thei haue returned home pas [...]ing weery of tra­uaile, their neighbours vnderstāding of it, & seing it? It is told also of a certē mā in y^e frō ­tiers of y^e Ambarrj, which at this present is called the Duchie of Niuerse, who came thither being constrayned by his owne ploughman. Likewise report goeth in this our age, of another which dwelt in y^e cun­trey of Po [...]ters, who being wonderfully e­namoured on a certē noble womā (who re­sorted thither to y^e assēbly amōg th [...] ̄, & was [Page] her self a Sorceresse) came thither also to see her, and to speake with her. Moreouer, how could it come to passe, that the Sorce­rers could note the places, know the per­sons againe by their faces, remember the number, the trées that growe nigh the hed­ges, riuers, and distinguish the houses: if we say that these were but vayne shewes and representations of mynde, and that in very deede they were not present at those meetinges: why should they depart out of their owne houses, and out of their townes late in the night to méete there? why should they be wéery of their iourney, how should they returne personally and visibly from those places, vnlesse personally & presently they had bin there, & not by only dreaming or imagination of mynde? Thus Anthony the constant cōfessions of Sorcerers them­selues, with other infinite testimonies are against you, & your opinion. But you will say, these be their boastinges, and doting dreames: Yea, but surely they be very daū ­gerous dreames Anthony: For they con­fesse this when they are neare their death, and when they are condemned and lead to execution for that offence, and when they [Page] bée tormented, when such talke can helpe them no longer: Finally, it is thus in euery place. Moreouer, as the most godly Father Athanasius writeth in his booke of the Hu­manitie of Christ, the cogitations and thoughtes of our mynde, how stronge and déepe soeuer they bée, yet can they not cary our bodies from place to place, neither can they affect or touch those that bee absent. But sorcerers bodies are conueyed away: wherefore we must thinke that this chaun­ceth not alonly by cogitation of minde. And as concerning your arguments, I say, that they must be distinguished. There be certē thinges whereof they falsly vaunt, which can not possibly bee done by course of na­ture, which notwithstanding they affirme that they doo them. These thinges happen vnto them through vaine illusion of mynd. But I beséech you, what cause, what rea­son, what course or order of nature, doth stop or hinder that they should not be there present? specially since corporally and visi­bly they returne from thence, that is to say, in very deed, and during al that time were absent from those places, in which they were before. For the same accused person, [Page] whereof you made mencion erewhyle, which went downe vnto hell, was twoo dayes absent, and when hée was diligently sought for throughout all the prison, yet could he not be found: wherfore, such thin­ges as are repugnant to the natures of our bodies, if they say y^t they doo any such thing, they be false, and worthely to bee reputed mere illusions of the Diuell. Such as bée those whereof the counsell of Aquilea ma­keth menciō, as to ride in y^e Moone, to talke with Herodias, w^t Diana, & with Minerua, which are called the gods of y^e Paganes: and to speake with a man that is dead, and to sée any of them whom they cal the xij. wor­thies, that is to say, Hector, Achilles, Rou­land & such lyke, w^t many other lyke mere fantasies & vaine deuises of Satan, which by him are represented vnto the eyes or myndes of men. Of this sort also are they which you haue alleaged both out of s. Au­gustine, and also out of the booke De spiritu et anima, which in déed cā not be so, bicause the accomplishing and trueth therof, plain­ly repugneth against the course of nature. But this which we affirme cōcerning the assembling & méeting togither of sorcerers, [Page] and the maner of their cumming togither, what hath it in it contrary to the course of nature, or disagreeing from the force and essencie of our bodies? To conclude, they that doo so certenly define, that in those ex­traordinary visions, and rauishinges, and traunces of the mynd, alwayes our bodies are altogither absent frō the sightes which we then beholde: truely they speake more boldly then the holy seruant and Apostle of Christ Sainct Paule, who speaking of his owne rauishing, and taking vp (al­beit, it was farre vnlyke to this kynde whereof wee now speake, for it was done by the hande and power of GOD, and not by Satan) in the second Epistle to the Corinthians, the xij. Chapter & third verse, sayeth thus: And I know the same man, (whether in the bodie, or out of the bodie, I can not tell, God knoweth) was ta­ken vp into Paradise, and there heard vn­speakable wordes, which are not lawfull for a man to vtter. These as I suppose, Anthony, will satisfie your doubtes, and I hope, declare them sufficiently vn­to you.

Yea, y^e bodies of such are foūd to [Page] abide & remayne in the selfsame chamber and bed, from which they must haue bin far distant, if they should personally & bo­dily haue met in an other place.

You continue still in your opiniō Anthony, which that I may playn­ly refute, I deny that which you say, & take vnto you for a graunted veritie: namely, that their true bodies were found to bee in the same chamber and bed, at what tyme they sayd y^t they were away. There were rather certen counterfeit bodies placed in their steede by Satan, & represented lyke­nesses: then the true bodies of the Sorce­rers. Doo you not remember I pray you, what Michol Dauids wife did, and what deuise she practized when she concealed the flight of her husband from her father Saule and his seruants, which sought to sley him? Haue you not read that which is written in the first of Samuel, the xix. chapter, how shee by craft and colourable meanes, but not by any Diuelish arte, nor after the ma­ner of Sorcerers, in steed of Dauids bodie placed an image, laying pillowes vnder his head, and trimming him with garmentes so finely and cunningly, that they thought [Page] surely Dauid was there, beholding the counterfeite so liuely set foorthe before their eyes. So likewise Satan, to the intente hee maye keepe from vs the ab­sence of his Pupilles, in steede of their true bodie, whiche is awaye, placeth there a false body, when wee chaunce to enquire. Whereby it commeth to passe, that many men suppose that Sorcerers are not bodely present at their assemblies, whiche themselues contende that they were at, and that because they perceyu [...] and finde false and counterfeite bodies like vnto them layde in their Chambers, and beddes, by Satan, in stéede of their true bodies: But surely they that iudge so, are very muche abused.

I vnderstande what you say. But I pray you resolue me in that which I proposed secondly vnto you: for it sée­meth vnto me impossible that Sorcerers should sometime be conueyed vnto those places by Satan, which neuerthelesse you haue auouched to be true.

Why? Doe not you thinke that to be true which is written of Christe, both in the .iiij. Chapter of Math. [Page] the .viij. verse, and also the fourth Chapter of Luke, the ninth verse, how he was cari­ed by Satan out of the desert vnto a pyna­cle of Hierusalem Temple?

Yea it is very true. But that was done by the will of God. And all that matter was extraordinary.

I easely graunt you that. And so likewise I say, y^t by the same wyll of God and his iust iudgement, it commeth to passe, that the Diuel can touch, cary, and conuey Sorcerers, that it may so appeare that they be altogether in his power. And if Satan durst touch so holy and vndefiled a body as Christes was, ouer which he could haue no power by reason of any sin: If he could take y^e same Christ vp, & carry him in the Ayre, the saucie presumer will not be afrayd to handle & carry y^e bodies of Sorcerers, knowing that before they haue geuen them selues vnto him, both body and soule. And if God haue geuen power vnto Satan ouer the soules of Sorcerers, to thintent they should be lead away from the fayth: he wyll much more geue him power ouer theyr bodies, to handle them, and cary them: For God will not so soone [Page] geue vnto Satan power ouer the soules of men, as ouer theyr bodies, which is con­firmed by the example of Iob. Iob, the second Chapter, the sixt verse. Finally, Satan wyll not alwayes take vpon him the trauayle of carrying and recarrying Sorcerers, but onely at some tymes, and when he will take from them all excuses of not méeting together, at theyr assem­blyes.

Me thinckes he should cast them into an horrible feare, when he tou­cheth, or handleth them.

You say trueth, if he ap­peared or met with them in his fourme of a Diuell, which doubtlesse is most horrible and dreadfull, but he appeareth vnto them in another shape, and similitude. For in respect that he is an euyll Angell, he cannot be séene. But like as when first he assay­eth them and talketh with them, he doeth it in the resemblance of a man, or in some other tollerable and accustomed fourme: so likewise when he meaneth to carry thē, he transfigureth himselfe into y^e lykenes of an horse, or a mule, or a bird, or some other liuing thing: Yea, sometime he caryeth thē [Page] foorth, and yet they see him not. For he geueth them a staffe, whiche they muste put betweene their legges, and at the say­ing of certen prayers in his name (which he teacheth and commaundeth them to doe) they thinke straight that the staffe ca­rieth them thither as they would goe, and so he perswadeth them that they be borne by the staffe, while he himselfe dothe car­rie them. For beeing of the nature of Aungels, yea the Prince of the ayre, as sayth S. Paule to the Ephesians, the .vj. chapter, and .xij. verse, it is no maruell if he doe that whiche we by no meanes can doe, and doe it also with more agilitie and quicknesse than we can.

I haue heard reporte of a cer­tayne Abbot named Bruno, who in a mi­nute of an houre was caried by the Di­uell from Millayn to Rome: also of one Theophilus, of whom the like is reported. But what thinke you hereof, Theophilus, doe you suppose these examples to be true?

Whether the reporte which goeth on these twayne, be true, or not, I neither knowe, neither doe muche force: but I confirme my selfe in mine [Page] owne opinion with this reason, that if Sa­tan through Gods sufferaunce can hurte and slay our bodies, as is gathered out of the storie of Iob, and others: muche more by his sufferaunce can he lifte them vp, carrie them, handle them, and vse them in all poyntes, as a wolfe can a shéepe whiche he hath stolen. Neither must we therfore suppose that Satan is an horse, or a mule, or a beast, as he then appeareth vnto our eyes. But if, as S. Paule sayth, the .ij, to the Corinthians, the .xij. chapter, and .xiiij. verse, he can transfourme him selfe into an Aungell of lighte, he can muche soo­ner, and with more facilitie put on the shape of these thinges, because hee can not so easely counterfeite the man of God, as he can resemble the shape of a Mule. Also Alexander Neopolitanus, whom while ere you commended for a substan­tiall witnesse, in the fourth booke, and xix. chapter of his worke De Diebus Ge­nialibus, writeth of a certayne Monke cal­led Thomas, commonly accompted a cre­dible person, who was wōt to tel, that if it had hapned him to be much offended with any of his brother Monkes, & in that heate [Page] of mynde had withdrawen himselfe into the desart, that then Satan would appeare vnto him in the lykenesse of a man, and would goe foorth talking with him a great way, persuading him to doo many thinges. And at length when they were come vnto a great streames side, in the same desart, he told how Satan would take him vp vp­pon his shoulders, & carry him ouer to the further side of the water. Whereby it ap­peareth that it is no new thing, if Satan doe cary any, to thintent to win them, or to binde them more firmely vnto him.

But it séemeth scarse possi­ble, that he can carry a man so soone, speci­ally the place being so farre distant, where as they say they doe meete.

I haue tolde you before what is playnly wrytten of Christe in the .iiij. of Luke, the fift verse, that he was in a moment brought vy Satan to Ierusalem, and al the kingdomes in the world shewen vnto him. Wherefore, Anthony, I sée no cause at all why you should so long doubt of this matter, since the celeritie & quick­nesse [Page] of this carryar satan, is so great, and his power and force in workeing so nim­ble: For none of all those thinges can let him, which hinder vs whē we make spéed about any thing. Neither is it so harde or paynefull to him to pearce the ayer when he runneth, as it is vnto vs. For he is of a most fine and subtile nature, after the ma­ner of Angels, and not of a bodily sub­stance, for that he is a spirit. And therefore Sainct Augustine in his booke, De Diui­natione Daemonum, the third Chapter, wryteth of him, that hée surpasseth the most swiftest men in runninge, or any other beast, yea the birdes themselues. Whose opinion Thomas Aquinas folow­ing, in the Summe of quest. C.x. the third question wryteth, that these grosse bodies doe geue place vnto Satan, through which therefore he conueyeth himself with more expedition, bicause they shall not lette or hinder him. And that you may bée no longer in doubt of this matter, Anthony, nor varyable in your mynde, I wyl bring foorth vnto you also, both sayinges, and ex­amples of profane wryters, that you may not suppose y^t this hath béen of later times [Page] receyued and beléeued only of Christians. For is there any thing, I pray you, more notorious in al histories of the Romanes, than the sodayne taking away of Romu­lus, first authour and founder of the Citie of Rome? Who in sight of many witnes­ses was taken away by Satan, for the horrible deuinations, superstitions, theftes, and stealing of women, whiche he had instituted and commaunded. And al­beit others write otherwise of his death, yet Plutarche an author of great credite, and amongest all Greeke and Latin wri­ters euer accompted the moste diligent and trustiest, reporteth thus of him: namely, that for a truthe vppon a day he was by Satan taken vp into the ayre, and carried away, all the people of Rome bée­ing present, and beholding it. Which that it was done by Satan, the sundry circum­stances of the matter, whiche by him are there recited, doe sufficiently declare. For before this was done, there arose a great storme and tempest in the ayre, with darknesse as it had béene nighte, and also horrible thunder, in so muche that all the people which was assembled, béeing ama­zed [Page] in these terrible accidences, most fear­fully ran thence away: which is a most e­uident example of the carrying away of a mans bodie by Satan, which that it may be done, the same Plutarch setteth foorth and confirmeth by twoo examples, namely by Aristeus Proconesiensis, and Cleomedes Astipaleensis. For Aristeus was taken a­way by a Diuell out of a fullers shoppe, and in a moment caried into a citie in I­taly called Crotona, standing in Calabria, where hee talked with many men. And Cleomedes, being of bodie as huge & bigge as a Giaunt, and a fierce man, who hauing miserably & cruelly slaine certen children, and being therfore narrowly and diligent­ly pursued after by their fathers, was dri­uen to such extremitie, that with much a doo he shut himself vp in a cheast, which cheast being founde and broken vp by the angry fathers of the children, notwithstan­ding Cleomedes was not found there: for hee was immediately caried away from thence by a diuel. I would here bring forth the carying away of Alexander, surnamed Sextus, Pope of Rome, which is in euery mans mouth, and is constantly reported to [Page] haue bin done by Satā. But I am affeard least you should thinke that I doo it in ha­tred of the Popes, vnto whō truely I beare little good will: wherefore, vpon all these thinges it may be concluded, that it is an easie matter vnto Satan, who is of his owne nature an Angell, to take vp our bo­dies and to carry them elswhere, and that in a moment. In confirmation whereof, I can recite vnto you that which is written in the story of Susan, the xxxv. verse, of Ha­bacuc: for it is written there, how hee was carried in a moment foorth of Iudaea, into Babilon by an Angel. But I suppose now that you are wholy become of mine opiniō.

In déed Theophilus, you haue brought my minde now something in sus­pense, but you haue not yet throughly per­suaded mée, which you shall doo, if you will also satisfie this my last demaund. Tel mée I pray you, if it bee true which you haue sayd, why Satā willeth thē whom he will carry to vse certen oyntmentes and oyles, when there is no néed of them?

I perceiue you are an earnest de­fender of your opinion, since you stick thus vpon euery questiō: howbeit, I wil declare [Page] vnto you that which you require. And first, you must not think y^t Satā willeth all sor­cerers to vse those ointments. For he com­maundeth but certen of thē to doo that, whō he perceiueth to be either fearfull to ven­ture, or more deintie then y^t they can abide his horrible touching of thē, like as are wo­men, and certē men also. For by those con­fections wherewith he willeth them to bée oynted, he benūmeth their senses, that they shall feele no payne while they are carried, or stand in horrour of his handes, or of his bearing of them. For those oyntmentes or oyles, are of no effect, nor any thing apper­tayning to y^e mouing of thē or to their iour­ney, but he commaundeth it to be done, ey­ther by y^e meanes to detayne or kéepe them from thinking how he handleth them: or surely if they auayle any thing, they auaile in this respect, y^t by meanes therof the bodi­ly senses are layd a sléepe, and in y^e meane while Satan him self carrieth them. How­beit, Satan also therin shooteth at ano­ther marke, namely to imitate and falsly to coūterfeit the holy sacraments of y^e church, ordeined by god, wherby the miserable sor­cerers may learne & accustome themselues [Page] to trust in him, and wonder at him, and worship him in respect of his great power, when as in déed it is he that caryeth them, and beareth them on his shoulders whither as they should goe.

But let him that list Theo­philus, get him such a seruant, for my part surely I refuse him, and with all my hart I renounce him.

And so doo I also, Anthony, but are you persuaded in that which I haue tolde you?

Almost truely. But I pray you answere mée to my third obiection, and this doubt, which troubleth my mynde.

What is that?

It séemeth vnto mée, that Sorcerers can not intoxicate any, vnlesse they cast in, & minister poyson vnto them. For it séemeth vnto mee incredible that they cā hurt only by meere enchaūtments, figures, wordes, hallowinges, curfinges, or charecters, vnlesse they mingle poison ther­with. But if Satan geue them the poyson which they mingle, or teach them how to mingle it: then doo I not doubt but that they may easily intoxicate. And I doo not deny, [Page] but that Satan is passing skilfull in such kinde of witchcraft and Sorcery. For hee knoweth excellent well the nature and properties of all thinges created, which S. Augustine witnesseth in the third booke De Diuinatione Daemonum. But surely I can not persuade my self, that hee can in­toxicate or hurt any man without poyson, powder, or roote. For as for wordes, num­bers, figures, a certen fourme of woordes, with certen peculiar mumblinges of pray­ers in prescribed order of wordes, with charecters: were not deuised to inuenim men, but plainly vnto other maner purpo­ses, lyke as father Irenaeus plainly prooueth in the second booke, the xl. & xliij. chapters, which vaine opinion of some, not only that good Christian father, but also Aristotle an Ethnick writer, in some place laugheth at, much lesse ought wee Christians allow it. Moreouer, this matter is ruled ouer by most certen demonstrations of naturall Philosophie, namely that there can no acti­on be done without a meane comming be­twéene, and applied to the extreame and outwarde partes of the thing suffering. As for example. If you shoue mée, your hande [Page] toucheth me: when I waxe warme against the fyre, first the fyre warmeth the ayre, then the ayre warmeth mée, which com­meth not to passe, that any meane cōmeth betwéene, when there is any intoxication or inchaunting committed by wordes, or charecters, or figures, or any fourme or or­der of wordes. And therefore Pliny, a wri­ter well séene in all kinde of learning, in the xxviij. booke & ij. chapter, of the history of nature, plainly denieth with mee, that there can no such thing be done.

You séeme vnto mee Antho­ny, to be now a great deale better learned then before, in the beginning of our com­municatiō, where you made mencion only of your knowledge which you gathered out of y^e grammer schoole: but now you declare your self to be a profound natural Philoso­pher, by reasō wherof I haue y^e harder con­flict w^t you, yet will I answere vnto your question: will you deny y^t Anthony which is written in y^e 58. Psalme, y^e v. & vi verse, of the Serpent, which is thus expressed.

No not so.

Then can you not deny but that Magitians and Sorcerers doo worke their feates, & doo hurt by soundes, wordes, and enchauntmentes.

But they can not doo so, but by some meane.

That is true which you say. For there commeth betwéene some meane and middle, apt & agréeable to the executi­on of these bewitchinges, which meane is only knowne vnto Satan, not vnto vs, nor vnto the Sorcerers themselues. So that in the end, Satan bringeth y^t to passe which I prooue vnto you, either by mingling poisō, or some otherway, wonderful, & not able to be perceiued by vs, whatsoeuer it is, which vnto vs semeth to be wrought only bi those figures, fourmes of words, and charecters.

After what sort is it done so, [Page] I pray you?

First by vertue of their league and couenant, Satan commeth vn­to them when they coniure and call him, accomplishing their requestes, & perfour­ming whatsoeuer hee promised should be done, by vertue and force of those figures, wordes, or charecters, to the end hee may séeme true and mightie, and to beare them in hand that the thinges which he hath she­wed them are of great power and effect: By which meanes, he both maketh these vayne people more beholding vnto him, and enforceth them to worship him with more deuotion. And thus hee manifestly transporteth vnto creatures, the office and duetie of the maiestie and power of God, whereby men may more willingly forsake God, and amazedly cleaue vnto creatures, that is to say, become perfect Idolaters. Moreouer hee endeuoreth by this meanes, after the maner of an Ape, to counterfeit and imitate the true sacramentes which God hath geuen to his church, and to bring them in contempt, and to make his coun­terfeites match vnto them, finally, hee tur­neth the force & effect of the thinges which [Page] are signified, vnto the signes which doo sig­nifie them.

These thinges then are not wrought by woordes alone, or by certen fourmes of Charecters only, but by media­tion of certen poysons priuely and secretly vsed by Satan him self, after an vn­knowne maner, which he hath not taught the Sorcerers.

You say well Anthony: For there is in Satan great craft and cunning to couer his wickednesse, & mischief, wher­fore the couenant which hee maketh with them, séemeth vnto mée to be like the bar­gaine which twoo théeues make, when they goe forth into y^e woddes to thintent to rob, for that they may the better hide thēselues, and the more easily and warely lay wayte for such as trauaile by the way. Thus doo they, and thus agrée they, that one of them shall euermore be séene in the way, the other lye hid in the woodes, who notwith­standing at a certen whistle▪ & watchword, whereupon they haue agréed, starteth forth and murthereth the traueiler, howbeit the other his fellowe who is also priuie of the fact, for y^e most part, neither séeth, ne know­eth [Page] with what weapon the other doth the déede. The same also may be declared vn­to you by another example. Noble men which beare any great hatred or malice a­gainst other, are woont to retaine bold and desperate Ruffians into seruice, and to haue them alwayes attending vpon them, vnto whom when they shall geue a signe by some priuie meanes, which none know but themselues, then doo they sodeinly flye vpon those whom their Maister and Lord is fallen out withall, yea many tymes though their Maisters be absent, or not sée­ing them, who notwithstanding willed thē to doo so. In like maner, at the signes and tokens appointed, Satan is immediately present, fulfilling whatsoeuer the Sorce­rers will him to doo, that he may alwayes haue thē more & more obedient vnto him. Yea, I wil moreouer say thus much, y^t these figures, & charecters are of themselues but meere toyes, & colourable trifles to bleare mens eyes, which being layd before thē by their most wicked schoolemaister, doo kéepe vnto him those his wretched schollars, who séeke for no other, nor truer cause of that e­uent, although in déed they be of no force to [Page] bring the thing to effect which they goe a­bout, neither doo the Sorcerers vnderstand how much they doo auaile. But like as cer­ten iuglers which would séeme to doo many straunge feates in the midst of a circle or ring of people, by sundry gestures & casting of the handes, and with much babling and prittle prattle of wordes, doo fil & wéery the eares and eyes of the lookers on, that they shall not perceiue how in y^e place of one lit­tle bal, they lay down thrée or foure, which they kept couertly betweene their fingers, (which notwithstāding is all done by nim­blenes of their handes:) so likewise Satan representeth these vaine, and friuolous co­lours & showes of figures, & woordes; vnto the eyes of his accomplises, whom hee is willing to kéepe from the diligent inquiry of suche matters y^•, being amoped with thē only, they may be stay [...]d vnto him, and not searche with any greater care or dili­gence what should bee the grounde and cause of the matter: which notwith­standing are of no suche kynde or nature of causes as may bring foorthe any such effect.

Tell me then Theophilus, by what meanes worketh Satā in déed, whi­lest he would séeme to worke by enchaunt­mentes, or superstitious describing of Charecters, or certen fourmes of pray­ers.

I am about to doo so. And to begin with all, I am certen and well assured of this, that Satan can doo nothing but by naturall meanes, and causes. For whatsoeuer hee doth eyther by him self, or by his y^e Magicians & Sorcerers: it is al­togither eyther illusion of their myndes and eyes, or only the true effect of natu­rall causes. As for any other thing, or that is of more force, hee can not doe it.

Can hee not also worke mi­racles, as Sainct Paule sayeth in the second to the Thessalonians, the second chapter the ix. verse. And Sainct Iohn in the reuela­tion the sixtene Chapter, and fourtenth verse.

What call you a miracle, Anthony?

I call a miracle, a certaine worke which is done in a natural body, cō ­trary [Page] to the naturall course and disposition thereof created by God. As for example: when iron swimmeth vpon the water, as is reported in the story of Elias in the se­cond booke of kinges, the vi. Chapter and vj. verse, when a stone flitteth vpon the water, when water is truely turned into wine, when the dead are vnfeynedly resto­red vnto lyfe.

Truely you haue properly defined a miracle. For as Sainct Augu­stine writeth, y^• must only be called a mira­cle, which surmounteth the power of all thinges created, neither can be wrought by them. So that a miracle is only the worke of Gods power, being most worthely and properly to be tearmed by that name. But Sainct Paule, and the Reuelation in those places which you haue commended, vse not this worde so strictly and precisely, but rather more at large, for any kinde of woorke which may séeme straunge and meruelous vnto men, although it procéede from naturall meanes and cau­ses. So that this worde Miracle, is of­tentymes vsed for that which may more [Page] rightly bée called a woonder. For as tou­ching a Miracle, Satan truely is able to worke none, as you haue most properly described a Miracle.

Is there then any di­uersitie betwéene a woonder and a Mira­cle?

Yea very large, whether you haue respect to the name, or to y^e thing. And as touching y^e word Mirū a wonder, which is also called of Greciās [...] & [...], is one thing: & Miraculū, a Miracle, called also [...], another. S. Augustine so distingui­sheth these words, in y^e third booke De Tri­nitate. So y^t a wonder is a worke which is not vulgare or cōmon▪ yet y^t is wrought by naturall causes: Howbeit they be many ti­mes vnknowne vnto vs, or known to fewe only, or else are done by such meanes as we men cānot vse, or are not wont, or haue not lerned to doo in y^e same or y^e like matter. As for example sake: when y^t great & cunning workman, & also famous Philosopher Ar­chytas Tarentinus, shewed openly to y^e peo­ple a doue of wood which flue in the ayre, it was a wonderful thing, but it was no mi­racle. For this motion was caused in the [Page] woodden body, through certen equallitie of weight, & by meanes of certē lines & work­manship, and by so neare & narrow ioyning of them, y^t one drew foreward another: so all that worke was but naturall. Likewise when the same Archytas caused, as it is written by Plutarch in the life of Mercel­lus, y^• whilest Syracu [...]e in Sicilia was besée­ged, one lad drew after him & plucked on land by an hooke a ship, for burthen of mon­strous weight and bignes: it was a won­derfull péece of worke, but no miracle. For it was done by naturall meanes & by deui­ses of rowles, and turning wormes gathe­red out of the Mathematical rules. So like­wise, learned Phisitions woorke many wonders, and so doo handicraftes men, but no miracles. Therefore as touching won­ders, that bee so called, Satan can easily and w^t small traueile worke many, & those far more excellēt thē we men cā, in respect y^t his strēgth & wit is much better thē ours: yet for all this, he can worke no miracles.

Why so?

For sundry causes, & chiefly for thrée. And first in respect of the ex­cellencie of his nature aboue ours. For [Page] hée is of an Angelicall and Spirituall na­ture, and wee are earthly and carnall, by reason whereof hee can doo many thinges which we can not. Secondly, for his moo­uing, and the great quicknes of dooing his actions. For in a moment he can come so long a iourney: as wee that are heauy and slowe, can not doo the like in six dayes. So that in a minute hee can passe from one place to another, be it neuer so far a sunder, for y^e ayre doth not stay nor let him. Third­ly, for his manifold skil in the natures of thinges, and longe experience which hée hath gotten, to whose if ours were com­pared, it is but ignorance: whereby it commeth to passe, that hee hath the know­ledge, and can worke in such sort, as we are not able to attaine to the lyke.

How chaunceth it then, that as you say, Satan can worke no mi­racles?

Fyrst, bicause that in woorking of miracles it behooueth to de­stroy & take away the nature from thinges which God hath geuen them, which Sa­tan can not doo: for it belongeth to god on­ly, y^t as hee can create and make the nature [Page] of thinges: so can he also ouerthrow, and destroy it. Secondly, that in a miracle it is néedefull to geue vnto the thing, new vertues and properties, which he can by no meanes doe. For the true God is one­ly aucthour and creatour of the properties which are in thinges. Thirdly, that a true miracle is such a worke which surpasseth the vertue and power of all thinges crea­ted, be they neuer so excellent. Wherefore Sainct Peter the Apostle, in the third of the Actes, the .xij. verse, when he had hea­led the lame man, and had wrought a true miracle, sayde thus: Yee men of Israëll, vvhy doe you wonder at this, or vvhy doe you looke vpon vs so earnestly, as though vve had vvrought it by our owne power or godlynesse, that this man should vvalke? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac. &c. By which wordes it is signified, as you sée, that the power to worke miracles, is proper vnto God onely.

But the blessed Angels, A­postles, and many other holy men, haue wrought miracles.

Truely they haue wrought miracles, by the working of God in them. [Page] For the power which worketh them, is in God onely, and in him onely resident, and neuer transported to any creature, for as it is written in Esay, God will neuer geue away his peculiar glory, to another. Wherefore, they whom you haue last re­cyted, Good Angells, Apostles, Prophets, and holy men, in woorking of those mira­cles which they are reported to haue done, were onely gods instruments in working of them, & that meere passiue, not actiue, as they terme them: and yet notwithstan­ding it followeth not, that if God vsed the ministrie of those his seruauntes, he doth also vse Satan likewyse, woorking mira­cles by him also. For God of his iustice wyll not communicate his glory in such measure vnto Satan and Diuells, as hée geueth it vnto the blessed Angells, and ho­ly men: Which is euidently confirmed by this onely example, in as much as Mo­ses and Aaron, the seruauntes of God, wrought true miracles, which Pharaos Magicians, although they were schollars very well practized in the artes of Satan, and his most excellent mynisters, could neuer doe the lyke, acknowledging the [Page] true effect thereof to be wrought by the finger of God onely, and confessing that the thinges which they did, farre surmoun­ted the course of nature, as it is wrytten in the eight Chapter of Exodus, the eigh­tenth verse. And the cause of this diuer­sitie betwéene Satan and the true ser­uauntes of God, and the diuersitie of his counsell and prouidence, is this, in that Satan in woorking of miracles, séeketh not the glory of God: but the good An­gells, and holy men, haue onely regarde and respect to that. So that many tymes these men are the instrumentes of God, but he neuer is. And although this bée true, that Satan of himselfe can doe no­thing, but how much, and when it plea­seth God to geue him leaue: so lykewise neither can hée destroy nor chaunge the order of thinges determyned by God, neither hath God geuen him such power, neither that he may woorke by any other thinges then naturall, although some­tymes they be hid from vs, finally he en­forceth them with such celeritie, that the whole woorke séemeth vnto vs to be a mi­racle. For he quickly gathereth y^e meanes [Page] and causes whereby he worketh. As for example, he soone gathereth cloudes toge­ther, to cause rayne: he soone driueth toge­ther & thickneth the Ayre, that thereby he may represent vnto our sight some shape, or thickened visible body: and in a momēt he can compound poysons to do hurt with­all, & immediatly he can resemble, or driue away whatsoeuer is of him required, or demaūded. Moreouer, he worketh all these thinges with such swiftnes, that the expe­dition thereof seemeth straunge vnto vs, which notwithstanding he worketh al by naturall causes. Wherefore, as I haue sayde before, figures, drawing of lines and circles, noyses, enchauntments, breefly, su­perstitious mumbling of certen prayers, are not the causes of such thinges as the Sorcerers doe worke, but rather pleadges and tokens onely of Satans promises vn­to them. So then Satan himselfe worketh those thinges, which they thinke thē selues to haue done, by vertue of those meanes. For he hath instituted these tokens, which he will not haue seeme either vnprofita­ble, either impossible, or friuolous. Wher­fore all those thinges are done by meanes [Page] of Satan onely. Wherein the opinion of Saint Ierome onely, who doubteth there­of, ought not to moue vs. For he wauereth therein, and Iohn Chrisostome is flatly a­gainst him, in his homilies vpon the Epi­stle of Sainct Paule to the Galathians, the iii. Chapter, and seconde verse, and others also of no lesse aucthoritie. And among la­ter wryters, what Peter Martyr, an excel­lent well learned Deuine, wryteth vpon the .xxviij. Chapter, of the first booke of Sa­muel, all men doe well knowe. Where­fore to conclude in fewe woordes, Satan woorketh all those thinges vpon couenaūt. By the same meanes it commeth to passe, that Sorcerers doe coniure & exorcize, as they call it, the Diuell: or call him foorth, or call him vp, or speake with him face to face, hauing apointed and agreeed vppon such couenauntes, that at sometimes he should appeare, and at other tymes depart away▪ After this maner, Numa Pompilius the seconde king of the Romanes, a great Magician & Sorcerer, if euer there were any, communed and talked oftentymes w^t Diuells, as Plutarch, a graue authour, wryteth in his lyfe. And now Anthony, [Page] that I haue answered vnto your thrée que­stions, what remayneth there more?

I aske you this question, whether all the poysons which Sorcerers doe vse, be mortall, and bring men into perill of death?

Why would you learne this of mée, which they them selues doe not knowe? God onely knoweth that, in whose hande lyeth our death and lyfe, not in the power of the Sorcerer, no not of the Diuell him selfe, as it is wrytten in the eight Chapter, and ninth Uerse, of [...]cclesiasticus. For the mynde and desyer of the Sorcerer is varyable in that poinct: many times to doe hurt, onely for a tyme, they caste theyr poy­sons vppon men, and oftentymes theyr poysons bée mortall and deadly. And therefore when they bée threatned, they seeke meanes to vndooe and take away theyr poysons from those whome they haue bewitched and poysoned, and there­in they requyre healpe of the Diuell, [Page] howbeit sometimes they cannot vndooe it, whatsoeuer they attempt, forasmuch as God hath otherwyse determined of vs. For he hath appointed the tearme of our lyfe, which we can not passe, as it is writ­ten in Iob, the fouretenth Chapter, and fift verse.

Ouer and besides this, Theophilus, after they bée come intoo the Iudges handes, and caste intoo Pri­son, can they then vse those their poy­sons, and doe any harme?

If I shall saye what I thinke, I wyll aunswere, that they can, if so bée they haue any conference with theyr maister Satan. But if you aske mee what the common people think thereof: surely, that they can not. So that if they can by anye meanes, fréely and commodiously come by those theyr Diuellishe poysons, and conferre wyth Satan, as otherwyse they myght if they were at home: I suppose they can intoxicate & poyson men when they are in [Page] prison. Neither doeth the iudges authori­tie of it selfe, nor the place, bring any im­pediment thereto. For proofe of which myne opinion, I may bring this, in that Satan himselfe hath strangled many sor­cerers in prison, or beaten them to death with his fistes, and also when they haue béene condemned by the Iudges, and layed vp fast in prison, he hath brought them to death, and hanging: Whereof I could re­cite vnto you almost infinite examples. Howbeit it séemeth vnto me, that Sorce­rers when they be in prison can no [...] intox­icate, for two causes. The first is, for that they cannot commodiously come by their poysons, when they be in prison. The se­conde, for that they dare not confer boldly with Satan their instructer, and master, for they feare that they are watched: be­sides, they are bounde and tyed, and they cannot haue their poysons, but they must haue a witnesse thereof, that is, the kéeper of the prison, to prie and see what they doe. And that is the thing that they feare most, that they may not be espied of the iudges. So that for the most part sorcerers whyle they be in prison, hurt no body. Wherfore, [Page] wise and diligent Iudges haue herein a special regarde, to come vpon them sodain­ly, before they be looked for, to search and try them. Finally, Sorcerers are affearde to vse theyr poysons when they be bounde and in hould, least they should be conuicted thereof, which might be easely done. For Sorcerers are a most fearful and coward­ly kinde of people, hauing renounced God, wherefore they be wary, and looke very circumspectly to themselues.

Uerely, Theophilus, you haue brought mée wholy into your opini­on. Wherefore now I beleue that there be sorcerers, and that they can intoxicate, and worke those infinite mischefes, which you haue recited. But now in the ende, I pray you declare vnto mée, what punish­ment these wicked and false men to God, deserue to haue?

The .v. Chapter. VVhat punishment Sorcerers deserue to haue.

IT is not my duetie, Anthony, to make or set foorth Lawes, which Kinges and Princes in euery Cy­tie may doe onely. Moreouer, the trade and custome of men haue so preuay­led now a dayes, that the punishmentes for wickednesse, are almost nowe all at wyll and pleasure. This much therefore I can aunswere you, that Sorcerers are worthy of the common and open hatred of all men, of what sort soeuer they bée, in that they be the open enemies of man­kinde, and of God that created them. For they be most wicked runnagates from the fayth, false forswearers of Gods power, traytours to the maiestie of God, most vile starters a side, most foully vnfayth­full to God, most filthie drudges to the [Page] Diuell: finally, most horrible diuellishe witches, and deceauers. Wherefore the Magistrate may very well punishe the Sorcerer, both as a witch, and as a run­nagate from the fayth, bicause both he hath forsaken GOD his creatour, and openly gone into the féelde and taken part with Satan. Whereby it commeth to passe, that by the Lawe of God, a Sorcerer is condemned to dye, Deut. the eightenth Chapter, and tenth verse: and in another place, Sorcery is accompted among the greatest and most gréeuous crimes, the first of Samuel, the fiftenth Chapter, and xxv. verse. Likewise the holy Ecclesiasti­call counsells of Fathers, doe detest and condemne them, as in the .lx.lxj. and .lxvj. article, the first, second, and third questi­on, of the seconde counsell of Constan­tinople, which are prouisions in the Ca­non Lawe. And by the Ciuile Lawe of the Romaines, suche kynde of people were most gréeuously punished. For in the Lawe called Lex Iulia, concerninge witches, that offēce was made death. But Leo the Emperour not being therewith [Page] satisfied, in his authentike Nouel, in the lxv. constitution, hath there prouided a­gainst them a more greeuous punishment. Finally, there was neuer yet any man of auncient or late tymes, being of any good minde and perswasion, which confessed not, that these were the worst men that ly­ued, and therefore iudged them worthy of most seuere punishment.

I maruell therefore, that at this present there be some Iudges so parciall, or rather vnfréendly to all man­kynde, that they be affearde, or rather wil not ryd away out of the worlde, such hor­rible cruell beastes, as Sorcerers bée, and punish them when they come into theyr handes.

Surely I maruell also thereat, Anthony, for they declare by this fondenesse of theyr owne mynde, howe much they contemne God, and are great and manyfest despisers of his honour and glory, whose mortall and sworne enemies when they haue founde, and taken: yet doo they let them goe, and suffer them to liue. But what remayneth there, Anthony ▪ [Page] which you would more know of me?

The .vj. Chapter. VVhether it be lawfull for a Christian to vse the helpe of Sorcerers, in sicknesses, or other affaires.

WHether a Christian with safe conscience & his duety towardes God, may vse their helpe in cu­ring a disease, either which they themselues or some of their fellowes haue caused, or the cure whereof they professe themselues to know. Finally, whether we may lawfully vse theyr ayde, to doe vs good, either in our publique or priuate af­fayres, as in time of warre.

Now in the ende, An­thony, [Page] you haue drawne mée farther wide, then I purposed to wade at the be­beginning: But forasmuch as I am en­tred into this argument, and you, to whom I may deny nothing, require the same, I will declare willingly.

And first, all mens opinions in this bée­halfe, were not a lyke, nor yet the lawes them selues. For some haue brought in this damnable distinction, saying, that of Sorcerers, some bée good, and some be [...]uyll. And as for the lawes they dooe not all agree, amonge which neuerthe­lesse, the Lawe of GOD hath béene al­wayes one, and agréeinge with it selfe. For it condemneth, and punisheth them euery where. Thow shalt not, sayth the Lawe, suffer a vvitch to liue. Exodus the two and twentieth Chapter, and eigh­tenth Uerse. There are extant also ma­ny positiue Lawes of men, and those many tymes repugnant one to another. For so longe as Kinges, and those that were in authoritie, worshipped Idoles, they vsed the ayde and helpe of Magicians and Sorcerers, without making doubt or daunger of the matter: whose example, [Page] she subiectes commonly following, had those men, although they were impure and vngodly, in great honour and estima­tion, dayly res [...]rting vnto them, which order is also at this day frequented among barbarous and Idolatrous nations, such as be they that dwell farre towarde the North and East partes of the worlde, and in the kingdome called Cambalu, where the great Chane, and kinge of Tartarians dwelleth. Through the whole Empire al­so of Persia, the artes and practizes of such men are well allowed, and frequented. And in foretime it hath béen accompted a­mong the Ethnickes for a great commen­dation of learning, if any had béen named to be skilfull in Magicke. And among the Egiptians doubtlesse it was highly com­mended, as it appeareth in the scripture, in the third Chapter of Exod. At Rome also, certen Emperours gaue them selues to the studie of Magicke, and vsed the helpe of Sorcerers. The Emperour Nero, as Suetonius wryteth in his lyfe, was accompted one of the chéefest among the professours of Magicke, howbeit after­warde [Page] perceauinge the vanitie of that Arte: he forsooke and mislyked of that studie, as C. Plinius wryteth. Adrian also the Emperour, which was after Nero, as Dion the historician wryteth in his lyfe, applyed the same study, and vsed the ayde of Sorcerers, against the Dropsie, where­into he was fallen. The whole nation of Hunnes, as I haue before alleaged, out of Gregorius Turonensis, when they went to batteyll, vsed their helpe, thereby to get the victory. Sainct Cypriane himselfe, who afterwarde became a Christian, and was Byshop of Carthage, before that he was conuerted to the fayth of Christ, it is read of him how earnestly and diligently he was addicted to that studie, which after­warde, through the great goodnesse of god, he forsooke and renounced. Which exam­ples doe all of them sufficiently declare, what great accompt the heathen people, and such as knew not the true God, made of the faculties and knowledge of these men, or rather in what price and estima­cion their damnable and wicked decept­fulnesse was had, being of all men com­monly vsed.

[Page]But after that by meanes and reason of this arte, there were found many vaine, ab­surde, and horrible thinges to be commit­ted, very gréeuous to be seene, both for the inuocation of Diuells, and for the sundry straunge gestures, & superstitions of these men: the Christian faith, increasing by lit­tle & little, it came to passe, that afterward it was not lawful by lawes set forth to the contrary, by the Emperours of Rome, for men commonly to vse the helpe of Sorce­rers, vnlesse some publique or priuate com­moditie enforced them thertoo. Wherfore, in Iustinians Code, the ix. booke, xviii. title, iiii. lawe, it is thus written, which lawe is set forth by Constantine the great. Their science is to bee punished, and worthely to bee restrained by most seuere lawes, who v­sing the arte of Magicke, are found to haue practized any thing against the health of men, or to mooue chast mindes vnto leche­ry. As for such remedies as are found to be auaylable to the health of mans bodie, are not restrained or forbiddē, or godly prayers which are made in the fieldes, that men may not be affeard of showres falling vpon their rype Grapes, or that they be shaken with [Page] winde, or beaten with Hayle, or els such: whereby no mans health or estimation bee impayred, but rather their dooinges furthe­red, that the giftes of God, and labours of men, be not destroyed. Dated the x. of the Kalend. of Iune, at Aquileia, Crispus and Constantinus being Consuls.

This is a straunge lawe, Theophilus, wicked, and little Christian like, if Constantine the Christian Empe­rour, were the first that made and publi­shed the same.

Uerely, Anthony, I suppose y^e Constantine was not fully established in the Christian fayth, when hee wrote it. For see how much hée ascribeth to Magicians and Sorcerers: hee willeth that it shall bee lawfull for men to vse their arte, so that it may bée to their com­moditie, which surely hee would not haue done, if he had bin a perfect christian: wher­fore that lawe was not only afterward a­mended by Leo, but altogether disanulled. For he forbiddeth vs to vse them vpon any occasion, and al the help and worke of Sor­cerers he calleth disceite, and dissimulatiō. Which latter lawe, all opinions & iudge­mentes [Page] of men, haue afterward commen­ded for the better, and hollier. Augustine, whose wordes are written in the Canon Admoueant .xxvi. the vij. question, shew­eth that their helpes are meere deceits and craftes of the Diuell. To conclude, in the second Chapter, in the title De Sortilegis, in the Decretals, the same is condemned, the cause and reason of all which iudgmentes, surely, is most iust and righteous.

What is that?

That we ought to haue no fel­lowship with Satan, whether it be directly and mediately, or els indirectly and imme­diately, as they tearme it: Neither ought we to séeke any relief by his help, ayde, or coun­sell. For it is our true and only God, vnto whom we must make recourse in all our afflictions: For why doo we séeke helpe and succour of Belzebub, since there is a god in Israel, as y^e prophet Elias worthyly gréeued and repined at, in y^e second booke of kinges, the .j. chapter, and iij. verse? Wherfore, we ought to cleaue vnto God, & to depend only vpon him, y^t by no means we allow, like of, or séeke to Satan him self, or to his mini­sters (as y^e Sorcerers be) as we be warned [Page] in the lxxxi. Psalme, and xi. verse. For wée can not serue twoo Maisters, namely God and the Diuel, whom we must vtterly for­sake: y^t we may entirely cleaue vnto God.

But their helpes haue ma­ny tymes had happie, and prosperous successe.

That therefore they are to be vsed, your argument is very weake and féeble: we must haue regard, rather to the commaundement of God, which forbiddeth vs in any wise to séeke vnto Sorcerers, as appeareth in the xviii. of Deut. the x. verse. For what doth Satan worke other by that meanes, then to leade vs away from the feare of the true God, and to pull vs vnto him? For looke whatsoeuer help we requir [...] of him to cure our bodies, it redoundeth to the hurt and destruction of our soules. For by this meanes, men seperate them selues from God, which is the true death of the [...]oule. Whereby it foloweth, that all the help and ayde that commeth by Satan and Sorcerers, is deadly poyson to the soule, which aboue all thinges wee ought to es­chewe, yea more then we would a Dog, or [Page] a Snake. But whereas it is sometime al­leaged, that their meanes haue done some men ease and pleasure: how much I pray you is it, or how seldome hath it chaunced? since among ten y^t flie to them for succour, there is scarce one, or not one, that is relée­ued, or findeth help. And againe, the effectes are not to be weighed vpon the successe, but vpon the commaundement of God. For he that hath stolen, oftentimes liueth in weal­thier state: is theft therefore to be allowed? Admit then that all which séeke such reme­die, doo alwayes escape and well recouer, and if we graunt so much: yet forasmuch as the expresse word of God commaūdeth the contrarie, we ought not accept it, whē it is offred, much lesse voluntarely goe séeke it. For whensoeuer we runne to any other for helpe, sauing God only, therin we vtter the most shamefull distrust and infidelitie of our mindes, our rebellion against God, and most wicked contempt of his power. By which wickednes of ours, we prouoke his wrath against vs, and chiefly heape vpon vs eternall damnation.

How then I pray you? may wee not by any meanes vse the helpe and [Page] ayde of Sorcerers, therby to séeke any re­leife or ease in our afflictions?

Some vse therin a distincti­on. They suppose that if the Magistrate will and commaund vs so to doo, then may wee with safe conscience vse their helpes, and remedies: Otherwise they hold opini­on, that it is not graunted to vs, nor law­full for vs. So that when the Magistrate biddeth vs séeke their helpe, and wee our selues of our owne accord doo not séeke vn­to them, therein they say, if wee admit their helpes, we doo not offend at all: But if we our selues of our owne accorde, doo runne vnto them, then they say, wee desire their help: we flatter them, curry w^t them, and frendly require them to come helpe vs: and therein we offend gréeuously. But if we not seeking it, the Magistrate notwith­standing cōmaundeth vs to doo it, thē finde we their help almost against our will, & in so dooing, wee are w^tout fault or grudge of conscience: for y^e Magistrate putteth in his foote, as it were the aucthoritie of god, whō we must obey, bicause hee hath his power from god. This is the foundation & ground of this distinction. But how weake, yea [Page] rather how vaine & false it is, I pray you consider and iudge, Anthony. First Sainct Paul generally forbiddeth in y^e iii. to y^e Ro­manes, the viii. verse, that we shal neuer doo euyll, that good thereby may ensue vnto vs, by whose soeuer aucthoritie we are so com­maunded, either Iudges, Magistrates, or what euer els he bée. Moreouer, I thinke, we may also reasō thus, a Pari, by the like. If the Iudge, and Magistrate bid vs woor­ship Idoles, if he bid vs steale, commit ad­ultery, embrace Satan: may wee there­fore doo so with safe conscience, bicause the Magistrate biddeth vs? There is no man I thinke, will graunt this, that is wel in his wittes. Yea, that more is, if the same Magistrate commaunde the Sorcerer to helpe vs by his Satanicall arte, and also will vs to suffer our selues to bee cured by that art, commaunding vs fully to yéeld our selues vnto his meanes, and wee doo so: we both commit, and consent vnto euyl. And if we should otherwise al the dayes of our life lie sick in our bed, yet ought we not run to any such meanes & artes of Satan, no, although the chéefe magistrate doo wil & commaund the same: For it can not bee [Page] otherwise chosen, but that therein wee ac­knowledge Satans power, whose help we vse and stay vs vpon, whom notwithstan­ding in our Baptime, we haue before who­ly renounced and forsaken. Neither lyeth it in the power of Satan, to make vs liue, or die, but in Gods hand only. But in this poinct a man may both geue counsell, and this may also be graunted: If he that is cal­led a sorcerer, can by no superstitious mea­nes, and no dealing with the Diuell, but only by rules and preceptes of Phisicions, and by ordinary and alowable medicines, restore vs to health: then may we vse his hand, helpe, and meanes, with safe consci­ence, and due obedience to God. For when the medicines which are ministred vnto vs, haue nothing in them that is reprooued as nought, or defiled with artes of the Di­uell, but are grounded vpon true and na­turall causes, that are euident vnto vs: then may wee accept them, not regarding whe­ther it were a man or a woman, a citizen or a countrey man, that teacheth, or apply­eth them. For all that are accompted com­monly witches and Sorcerers, are not so in déede, and many there are that haue bin [Page] suspected thereof vndeseruedly. Wherfore, now at the length, let vs thus conclude, out of the premisses, that we may not, nor ought not, to vse the help of Sorcerers, vn­lesse we our selues will be of the number of them, and forsake our true God and sa­uiour, which they doo, as often as they haue any dealinges with Satan, or require or receyue of him knowledge of remedie.

The vij. Chapter. By what meanes a man may take heede and beware of the artes, and be­witchinges of Sorcerers.

HOw thē Theophilus, by what meanes shall a man take héede of them, or how shall a man be restored to health againe, if hee be once intoxicated?

As concerning the cure of intoxications, Anthony, I wil not doubt to affirme this much, after S. Augustine, that the most learned Phisitions, are, for the [Page] more part to séeke in such kinde of diseases, not knowing what remedies to minister, they are so straunge, new, and priuie. For they come forth of Satans shop, and they are wrought by his artes, which for the most part are vnknowne vnto vs mor­tall men. Howbeit, the helpe of Phisick is not to bee contemned in them, but ra­ther diligently to bee sought and applyed, and all wayes and meanes are to be proo­ued which that facultie sheweth, and the counsell thereof to bée insued, that if it shall please God, wee may recouer our former health. For hée can blesse those good and holsome medicines, and restore vs to as perfect health as wee were before. For Phisicke is a most excellent gift of GOD vnto men, as it is read in the xxxviij. Chapter, and seconde verse of Ecclesiasticus, whose effectes are great: which hath many tymes before, and may now also at this present, if it please God, restore many that are intoxicate and be­witched. But when wee haue prooued all lawfull meanes, and notwithstan­ding are able to doo no good, yet must wee by no meanes runne to Sorcerers, [Page] nor séeke to dryue one mischéefe away with another, or rather with a woorse, and not loose the soule in seeking to heale the bodie: although to to many wic­ked and vngodly men doo so now a dayes. What must wee then doo? wee must patiently abyde & looke for y^e helpe of God, and depende onely vpon his prouidence. Therfore let vs commit our selues wholly vnto him, let vs earnestly call vpon him, and make our mone vnto him, and come vnto him with true conuertion of mynde, and hée will help vs, so far as he shall think méete for his glorie, and profitable to the health of our soules▪ Finally, let vs thus perswade our selues, that it is hée only in whose hande lyeth the beginning and ending of our life, as the scripture speaketh, which th [...]t we may most certen­ly beléeue; it is very often repeated by the spirite of God, in the xxxvij. Psalme, the fift verse, the xxvij. the fourtéene verse: the .l. the fiftéene verse: also in Ecclesiasti­cus the viij. Chap. and viij. verse▪ the lxviij. Psalme, and xxj. verse. For hée knoweth howe hee would bee glorified in vs, what, and howe longe hee hath appoynted the [Page] tearme of our life, how also and after what manner we must be chastized in y^e mean [...] season: Wherefore let vs wholly submit our selues vnto his most wise prouidence. As for temptation, wee shall not be temp­ted aboue the strength of a man, like as he hath promised, the first to the Corinth. the x. Chapter, and xiij. verse. For when wée striue with such diseases and euilles, which are almost vncurable and desperate, then ought we chéefly to looke for comfortes out of the word of God, and lay them before vs.

But I pray you tel me, how shall a man in the ende, escape the fury and mischief of these men?

Surely Anthony, there is no medicine against them, no drinke, no peculiar and certen precept, touching the matter that you demaund of mée, sauing this only, that most earnestly wée com­mit our selues, and our life, euery day, and euery moment vnto God our father, commending our selues vnto him in most [...]artie prayer, both in the morning when [Page] wee ryse, and when wee goe to bed. And forasmuch, as those wicked & diuellish people, doo priuely, and craftely, intoxicate and poyson vs, while wee eate, while wee drink, and while we goe abroade: we must doo all those thinges, first calling vpon the name of God, as Sainct Paule willeth vs, and not to assay or begin any thing, lea­uing that out. For if wee commit our selues to the tuition of GOD, who is a mightie king, a most prouident father, and who restrayneth and bridleth Satan him self, and his power, placing an whole armie of Angelles about vs, to kéepe vs: if, as I say, he be on our side, who shall hurt vs? The scripture testifying the same: If God be on our side, who is then against v [...]? Rom. the viij. Chapter, the thirtie verse. Where­fore, that most swéete and excellent pro­mise of God made vnto vs through our Lord Iesus Christ, is most especially and diligently to bee thought vpon, which is playnly set foorth in the foure score and eleuen Psalme.

ANd this is the truest & surest way, in my opinion, whereby wee may kepe our selues safe frō thē. How­beit also, y^t meanes standeth with good reason, which some counsell vs to vse, that they may not hurt vs, namely, that we haue no familiar conuersation with them, neither admit them into our com­pany, although they séeke vpon vs, and flat­ter vs neuer so much. For this kynde of people, is of al other, most full of flattery and dissimulation, who folowing the na­ture and propertie of their mayster the Diuell, doo flatter those most swéetely, whom they indeuour and studie to [...]ley most traytrously. Moreouer, I would wish that this my chéefest remedie & best coun­sell, in this behalf, were taken, that they [Page] hurt vs not: which is this, to wit, that all Iudges of Assise, which sit vppon lyfe and death, but especially, all Barons, and Lordes of the Parliament, were admo­nished, that letting passe all vaine and cu­rious disputations of this matter, they would wholy apply them selues to this, diligently to enquire after such persons, and when they haue founde them out, se­uerely to punish them. For there is no vy­ler pestilence, nor that can be named more execrable and cruell against man kynde, then are Sorcerers, whom the last law in the title, De Maleficis, in the Code, would haue euery man that knoweth them to apprehend them, commit them to holde, and bringe them to iudgement: this crime hath alwayes séemed so detestable. And I would to God, Anthony, that those men to whom God hath geuen the authoritie to make Lawes, and execute Iustice, had taken such order by theyr lawes, that eue­ry Iudge should haue absolute and full authoritie within his circuite, territory, and precinct, to make away and put to death, these periured runnagates from the Fayth, and most wicked kynd of men, [Page] that they might not through the long pro­longing of Iudgement, and sundry brea­kinges of, and circumstances of apeales & remouing the matter, which they bring in and vse, at length escape away fréely out of the Iudges handes. As it chaunceth oftentimes. For there is geuen vnto the gouerner of euery prouince, full authori­tie and iurisdiction concerninge murthe­rers, and such as rob men vpon the high wayes, and other fellons, to doe his plea­sure to the vttermost on them for theyr due execution: and why should they not likewise haue authoritie to determine of those crimes also, without any apealing from them? and that, since the offence of him is farre worse and more intollera­ble that slayeth a man with poyson, then that killeth him with a sworde: and of him that doeth it priuely, then that setteth vpon him openly. Now this is the last poinct, Anthony, whereof I haue to ad­monish you, as beeing the conclusion of our whole disputation: How all men ought to perceyue and vnderstand by those thinges which we haue vttered beefore, after what sort, and howe continually we [Page] ought to commende our selues to GOD, least that we fall into the snares of wit­ches and Sorcerers, and be hurt by them, for they are our mortall enemyes, and they bee passinge secret: As we are also bounden to geue most hartie thankes vnto the same our God, that he hath defended vs from the craftes of Satan, so deadly a foe of oures, that we should not fall into the same errour that Sorcerers doe, and most miserably runne into the denying, and forswearing of his name. Finally you sée, Anthony, with howe great prayse the infinite goodnes, and wonderfull proui­dence of our good god & heauenly father to­wardes mankinde, is to be extolled and commended. His infinite goodnes, that whereas there haue béen so many Sorce­rers in all ages, that haue so wickedly and so traytrously denyed him vtterly, and chosen Satan for theyr God: hée had not vtterly consumed and destroied the whole world, which he might haue doon most iust­ly. His wonderful prouidence, y^t although Satā endeuor very diligētly to draw men away from their saluatiō which is in god, working in thē very craftely, & mightely: [Page] Yet God notwithstanding, through his méere grace, preserueth y^e greater number of men, now at this present, euen from his snares, restrayneth his power, disapoin­teth his purposes, finally, hath tofore, and doeth so euermore worke, that the better number escapeth & hath the vpper hande, through feare of whom, the wicked are kept in awe, that they can not hurt as­much as they would, and the elect, & chil­dren of God thereby are not drawen a­way from the fayth, but constantly conti­nue therein. Unto which our God euerla­sting, almightie, and most louing: bée all prayse, honour, and glory, for euermore. Amen. Will you aske of me any thing els, Anthony?

Nothing at all. For you haue answered me sufficiently throughout the whole discourse of this argument, in respect whereof, I geue you most hearty thankes. Fare you well therefore, Theo­philus.

And you also, Anthony.