A Discourse of Witchcraft, chapter 1: Of the Nature of Witchcraft (part 1 of 2)

A Discourse of Witchcraft.

Exod. 22. 18. Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue.

THis text containeth one of the Iudiciall Lawes of Moses touching the punishment of Witchcraft: which argument I haue chosen to intreat of, for these causes:

First, because Witchcraft is arife and common sinne in these our daies, and very many are intangled with it, beeing either practitioners thereof in their owne persons, or at the least, yeilding to seeke for helpe and counsell of such as practise it.

Againe, there be sundrie men who receiue it for a truth, that Witchcraft is nothing else but a meere illusion, and Witches nothing but persons deluded by the Deuill: and this opinion takes place not onely with the ignorant, but is holden and maintained by such as are learned, who doe auouch it by word and writing, that there be no witches, but as I said before.

Vpon these and such like considerations, I haue beene mooued to vndertake the Interpretation of this Iudiciall law, as a sufficient ground of the doctrine which shall be deliuered. In handling whereof, two things are distinctly to be considered. The first, what is a Witch. The second, what is her due and deserued punishment. And both these beeing opened and handled, the whole meaning of the law will the better appeare.

For the first. To giue the true descriptiō of a Witch, is a matter of great difficultie, because there be many differences and diuersities of opinions touching this point; and therefore that we may properly and truly define a Witch, we must first pause a while in opening the nature of Witchcraft, so farre forth as it is deliuered in the bookes of the Old and New Testament, and may be gathered out of the true experience of learned and godly men.

Touching Witchcraft therefore I will consider three points:

• I. What witchcraft is.
• II. What is the ground of the whole practise thereof.
• III. How many kinds and differences there be of it.

CHAP. I.

Of the Nature of Witchcraft.

TO begin with the first: According to the true meaning of all the places of holy Scripture which treate of this point, it may be thus described:

Witchcraft is a wicked Arte, seruing for the working of wonders, by the assistance of the Deuill, so farre forth as God shall in iustice permit.

Sect. I.

I say it is an Arte, because it is commonly so called and esteemed amongst men, and there is reason why it should be thus tearmed. For as in all good and lawfull arts, the whole practise thereof is performed by certaine rules and precepts, and without them nothing can be done: so Witchcraft hath certaine superstitious grounds and principles whereupon it standeth, and by which alone the seats and practises thereof are commonly performed.

If it be demaunded, what these rules be, and whence they had their beginning, considering that euery Arte hath reference to some author, by whom it was originally taught and deliuered? I answer, that they weare deuised first by Satan, and by him reuealed to wicked and vngodly persons of auncient times, as occasion serued: who receiuing them from him, became afterward, in the iust iudgement of God, his instruments to report and conuey them to others from hand to hand.

For manifestation whereof, it is to be considered, that God is not onely in generall a Soueraigne Lord and King ouer all his creatures, whether in heauen or earth, none excepted, no not the deuills themselues; but that he exerciseth also a speciall kingdome, partly of grace in the Church militant vpon earth, and partly of glorie ouer the Saints and Angels, members of the Church triumphant in heauen. Now in like manner the Deuill hath a kingdome, called in Scripture the kingdom of darknes, whereof himselfe is the head and gouernour, for which cause he is tearmed the Prince of darknes, the God of this world, ruling and effectually working in the hearts of the children of disobedience.

Againe, as God hath enacted Laws, whereby his kingdome is gouerned, so hath the deuill his ordinances, whereby he keepeth his subiects in awe and obedience, which generally and for substance, are nothing else but transgressions of the very lawe of God. And amongst thē all, the precepts of Witchcraft are the very chiefe and most notorious. For by them especially he holds vp his kingdome, and therefore more esteemeth the obedience of them, then of other. Neither doth he deliuer them indifferently to euery man, but to his owne subiects, the wicked; and not to them all, but to some speciall and tried ones, whome he most betrusteth with his secrets, as beeing the fittest to serue his turne, both in respect of their willingnesse to learne and practise, as also for their abilitie to become instruments of the mischiefe, which he intendeth to others.

If it be here asked, whence the deuill did fetch and conceiue his rules? I answer, out of the corruption and deprauation of that great measure of knowledge he once had of God, and of all the duties of his seruice. For that beeing quite depraued by his fall, he turnes the same to the inuenting and deuising of what he is possibly able, against God and his honour. Hereupon, well perceiuing that God hath expressely commanded to renounce, and abhorre all practises of Whitchcraft, he hath set abroach this art in the world, as a maine pillar of his kingdome, which notwithstanding is flatly and directly opposed to one of the maine principall lawes of the kingdome of God, touching the seruice of himselfe in spirit and truth.

Againe, the reason why he conueies these vngodly principles and practises from man to man is, because he finds in experience, that things are farre more welcome and agreeable to the common nature of mankinde, which are taught by man like vnto themselues, then if the deuill should personally deliuer the same to each man in speciall. Hereupon, he takes the course at first to instruct some fewe onely, who beeing taught by him, are apt to conuey that which they know to others. And hence in probabilitie this deuillish trade, had his first originall and continuance.

Sect. II.

In the second place, I call it a wicked art, […]o distinguish it from all[…]good and lawfull a[…]s, taught in schooles of learnin[…] which […] they are war[…]antable by the word of God, so are they no lesse profitable and necessary in the Church. Againe, to shewe the nature and quali[…]ie of […], that it is a most vngracious and wicked art, as appear[…]th by the Scriptures. For when Saul had broken the expresse commandement of God, in sparing Agag, and the best things, Samuel tells him, th[…]t rebellion and disobedience is as the sinne of Witchcraft, that is, a most horrible and […], like vnto that wicked, capitall, and […] sinne, 1. Sam. 15. 23.

Sect. III.

Thirdly, I […]dde, te[…]ing to the working or producing of wonders, wherein is noted the pro[…]er ende of this art, whereby I put a further difference betweene it, and others that are godly and lawfull.

Now if question be mooued, why man should desire […] Witchcraft to worke wonders […] the true and proper cause is […] first temptation, whereby the deuill preuailed against our first parents, had inclosed within it many sinnes: for the eating of the forbidden fruit, was no small or single offence, but as some haue taught, contained in it the breach of euery commandement of the Morall lawe. Amongst the rest, Satan laboured to bring them to the sinne of discontentment, whereby they sought to become as Gods; that is, better then God had made them, not resting content with the condition of men. […] his sinne was then learned, and could neuer since b[…] forgotten, but continually is deriued from them to al their poster[…]ie, and now is become so common a corruption in the whole nature of flesh and blood, that there is scarce a man to be found; vvho is not originally tainted therevvith as he is a man.

This corruption shevves it selfe principally in tvvo things, both vvhich are the maine causes of the practises of Witchcraft.

First, in mans outwardest[…]e; for, lie beeing naturally possessed with a loue of himselfe, and an high conceit of his owne deseruing, when he liues in base and low estate, whether in regard of pouertie, or want of honour and reputation, which he thinkes by right is due vnto him: he then growes to some measure of griefe and sorrow within himselfe. Hereupon, he is mooued to yeeld himselfe to the deuill, to be his vassall and scholler in this wicked art, supposing that by the working of some wonders, he may be able in time to releeue his pouerty, and to purchase to himselfe credit and countenance amongst men.

It were easie to shew the truth of this, by examples of some persons, who by these meanes haue risen from nothing, to great places and preferments in the world. In stead of all, it appeareth in certain Popes of Rome, as Syluester the second, Benedict the eight, Alexander the sixt, Iohn the […]0. and twentie one, &c. who for the attayning of the Popedom (as histories record) gaue thēselues to the deuil in the practise of witchcraft, that by the working of wonders, they might rise frō one step of honour to another, vntill they had seated themselues in the chaire of the Papacie. So great was their desire of eminencie in the Church, that it caused them to dislike meaner conditions of life, and neuer to cease aspiring, though they incurred thereby the hazard of good conscience, and the losse of their soules.

The scond degree of discontentment, is in the minde and inward man; and that is curiositie, when a man resteth not satisfied with the measure of inward gifts receiued, as of knowledge, wit, vnderstanding, memorie, and such like, but aspires to search out such things as God would haue kept secret: and hence he is mooued to attempt the cursed art of Magicke and witchcraft, as a way to get further knowledge in matters secret and not reueiled, that by working of wonders, he may purchase fame in the world, and consequently reape more benefit by such vnlawfull courses, then in likelihood he could haue done, by ordinarie and lawfull meanes.

Sect. IV.

Fourthly, it is affirmed in the description, that Witchcraft is practised by the assistance of the Deuill, yet the more fully to distinguish it from all good, lawfull, and commendable arts. For in them experience teacheth, that the Arts-master is able by himselfe to practise his art, & to doe things belonging thereunto, without the help of another. But in this it is otherwise; for here the worke is done by the helpe of another, namely, the Deuill, who is confederate with the Witch. The power of effecting such strange works, is not in the art, neither doth it flow from the skill of the sorcerer, man-or-woman, but is deriued wholly, from Satan, and is brought into execution by vertue of mutuall consederacie, betweene him and the Magician.

Now that this part of the description may be more clearely manifested, […] procede to a further point, […] kind of wonders they be which are ordinarily wrought by the ministerie and power of the deuill.

§ 1. Wonders therefore be of two sorts; either true and plaine, or lying and deceitfull.

A true wonder is a rare worke, done by the power of God simply, either aboue, or against the power of nature, and it is properly called a miracle. The Scripture is plentifull in examples of this kind. Of this sort, was the deuiding of the redde sea, and making it drie land by a mighty east wind, that the children of Israel might passe through it, Exod. 14. 21. For though the East wind be naturall of great force to mooue the waters, and to drie the earth; yet to part the sea asunder, and to make the waters to stand as walls on each side, and the bottome of the sea as a pauement, this is a worke simply aboue the naturall power of any wind, and therefore is a miracle. Again, such were the wonders done by Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh in Egypt, one whereof, in stead of many, was the turning of Aarons rodde into a serpent, a worke truely miraculous. For it is aboue the power of naturall generation, that the substance of on creature should be really turned into the substance of another, as the substance of a roode into the substance of a serpent. Of the like kinde, were the standing of the Sunne in the firmament without moouing in his course, for a whole day, losh. 10. 13. the going backe of the Sunne in the firmament tenne degrees, 2. King. 20. 11. the preseruation of the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the midst of the hoat fierie fornace, Dan. 3. 25. and of Daniel in the lyons den, Dan. 6. 22. the feeding of fiue thousand men, beside women and children, with fiue loaues and two fishes, Matth. 14. 20. 21. the curing of the eyes of the bling man, with spittle and clay tempered together, Ioh. 9. 6. 7. &c.

Now the effecting of a miracle in this kind, is a work proper to God onely; and no creature, man, or Angel, can doe any thing either aboue or contrarie to nature, but he alone which is the Creator. For as God in the beginning made all things of nothing, so he hath reserued to himselfe, as a peculiar work of his almightie power, to change or abolish the substance, propertie, motion and vse of any creature. The reason is, because he is the author and creator of nature, and therefore at his pleasure, is perfectly able to command, restraine, enlarge, or extend the power & strēgth thereof, without the helpe or assistance of the creature.

Againe, the working of a miracle is a kind of creation, for therein a thing is made to be, which was not before. And this must needs be proper to God alon, by whose power, things that are, were once produced out of things that did not appeare. The conclusion therefore must needs be this, which Dauid confesseth in the Psalme: God onely doth wondrous things, Psalme 136. 4. that is, works simply wonderfull.

But it is alleadged to the contrarie, that the Prophets in the old Testament, and the Apostles in the new, did worke miracles. I answer, they did so, but how? not by their owne power, but by the power of God, beeing onely his instruments, whom he vsed for some speciall purpose in those works: and such as did not themselues cause the miracle, but God in and by them. The same doth Peter and Iohn acknowledge, when they had restored the lame man to the perfect vse of his limmes, that by their power and godlinesse, they had not made the man to goe, Act. 3. 13.

Againe, it is obiected, that our Sauiour Christ in his manhood wrought many miracles, as those before mentioned, and many more. Ans. Christ as he was man did something in the working of miracles, but not all. For in euery miraculous worke there be two things, the worke it sel[…]e, and the acting or dispensing of the work: the work it selfe, being for nature and substance miraculous, considering it was aboue or against the order of natural causes, did not proceed […]rom Christ as man, but from him as God; but the dispensation of the same, in this or that visible manner[…] to the viewe of men, was done and performed by his manhood. For example; The raising vp of Lazarus out of the graue, hauing beene dead foure daies, was a miracle[…] to the effecting whereof, both the Godhead & the manhood of Christ […]ō curred, by their seueral & distinct actiōs. The manhood onely vttered the voice, and bad Lazarus come forth, but it was the godhead of Christ that fetched his soule from heauen, and put it againe into his bodie, yea, which gaue life and power to Lazarus, to heare the voice vttered, to rise and come forth. Ioh. 11. 43. In like manner, when he gaue sight to the blinde, Matth. 20. 34. he touched their eyes with the hands of his manhood, but the power of opening them, and making them to see, came from his Godhead, whereby he was able to doe all things. And in all other miraculous workes which he did, the miracle was alwaies wrought by his diuine power onely; the outward actions and circumstances that accompanied the same, proceeded from him as he was man.

Now, if Christ as he is man, cannot worke a true miracle, then no meere creature can doe it, no not the Angels themselues, and consequently not Satan, it beeing a meere supernaturall worke, performed onely by the omnipotent power of God.

§ 2. The second sort of wonders, are lying and deceitfull, which also are extraordinarie workes in regard of man, because they proceed not from the vsuall and ordinarie course of nature: and yet they be no miracles, because they are done by the vertue of nature, and not aboue or against nature simply, but aboue and against the ordinarie course thereof: and these are properly such wonders, as are done by Satan and his instruments; examples whereof wee shall see afterwards.

If any man in reason thinke it not likely, that a creature should be able to worke extraordinarily by naturall means, he must remember, that though God hath reserued to himselfe alone the power of abolishing and changing nature, the order whereof he set and established in the creation, yet the alteration of the ordinarie course of nature, he hath put in the power of his strongest creatures, Angels and deuills. That the Angels haue receiued this power, and doe execute the same vpon his command or permission, it is manifest by Scripture, and the proofe of it is not so necessarie in this place. But that Satan is able to doe extraordinarie workes by the helpe of nature (which is the question in hand) it shall appeare, if we consider in him these things.

First, the Deuil is by nature a spirit, & therfore of great vnderstanding, knowledge, & capacitie in all naturall things, of what sort, qualitie, & cōdition soeuer, whether they be causes or effects, whether of a simple or mixt nature. By reason whereof he can search more deeply & narrowly into the grounds of things, then all corporall creatures that are clothed with flesh and blood.

Secondly, he is an auncient spirit, whose skil hath beene confirmed by experience of the course of nature, for the space almost of sixe thousand yeares. Hence he hath attainted to the knowledge of many secrets, and by long obseruation of the effects, is able to discern and iudge of hidden causes in nature, which man in likelyhood cannot come vnto by ordinarie meanes, for want of that opportunitie both of vnderstāding and experience. Hereupon it is, that whereas in nature there be some properties, causes, and effects, which man neuer imagined to be; others, that men did once know, but are now forgot; some, which men knewe not, but might know; and thousands which can hardly, or not at all be known: all these are most familiar vnto him, because in themselus they be no wonders, but only misteries and secrets, the vertue and effect whereof he hath sometime obserued since his creation.

Thirdly, he is a spirit of wonderfull power and might, able to shake the earth, and to confound the creatures inferiour to him in nature and condition, if he were not restrained by the omnipotent power of God. And this power, as it was great by his creation, so it is not impayred by his fall, but rather increased and made more forcible by his irreconciliable malice he beareth to mankind, specially the seede of the woman.

Fourthly, there is in the deuil an admirable quicknes and agilitie, proceeding from his spirituall nature, whereby he can very speedily and in a short spoce of time, conuay himselfe and other creatures into places farre distant one from another. By these […]ower helpes, Satan is inabled to doe strange workes. Strange I say to man, whose knowledge since the fall is mingled with much ignorance, euen in naturall things; whose experience is of short continuance, and much hindered by forgetfulnes; whose agilitie by reason of his grosse nature, is nothing, if he had not the helpe of other creatures; whose power is but weaknes and infirmity in comparison of Satans.

[…] if their be any further doubt, how Satan can by these helpes worke wonders, we may be resolued of the truth thereof by considering three other things. First, that by reason of his great knowledge and skill in nature he is able to apply creature to creature, and the causes efficient to the matter, and therby bring things to passe, that are in common conceit impossible.

Secondly, he hath power to mooue them, not onely according to the ordinary course, but with much more speed and celeritie.