A Discourse of Witchcraft, chapter 3: Of the kinds of Witchcraft, and first of Divination (part 3 of 4)

Besides this, some learned Physitians haue vpon experience confessed, that the obseruation of the signe, is nothing materiall, and that there is no danger in it, for gelding of cattell, or letting of blood. Indeede it preuailes oftentimes by an old conceit and strong imagination, of some vnlettered persons, who thinke it to be of force and efficacie for restoring and curing: and yet the vanitie of this conceit, appeares in the common practise of men, who commonly vpon S. Stevens day vse to let blood, be the signe where it will; though it be in the place where the veine is opened. But the truth is, the signe in it owne nature, is neither way auaileable, beeing but a fancie, grounded vpon supposed premisses, and therefore ought to be reiected, as a meere vanitie.

The second thing belonging to Astrologie, which ought to be eschewed, is the choice and obseruation of daies. Curious diuiners doe set apart certaine dayes, whereof some are (as they say) luckie, some vnluckie. And these they appoint to be obserued for the beginning of ordinary works & businesses; as to take a iourney; to beginne to lay the foundation of a building, to plant a garden, to weane a child, to put on new apparell, to flit into a new house, to trafficke into other countries, to goe about a suite to a Prince, or some great man, to hunt and vse exercises, to pare the nayles, to cut the haire; in a word, to attempt any thing in purpose or action, which is not done euery day. The effect and force of these daies, is not grounded either in arte or in nature, but onely in superstitious conceit and diabolicall confidence, vpon a wicked custome, borrowed from the practise of diuiners: and the daunger of such confident conceits is this; that the Deuill by them takes the vantage of fantasticall persons, and brings them further into league and acquaintance with himselfe, vnlesse they leaue them. And all such persons as make difference of daies for this or that purpose, are in expresse words plainly condemned, Deut. 18. 10, 11.

§ 4. The fourth kind of Diuination by true meanes, is the prediction of things to come by dreames.

In the old Testament we read tha[…] Sorcerers and false Prophets vsed to foretell strange euents, by reuelations which they had in their dreames. Such diuiners were among the Iewes: and for that cause the people of God were expressely forbidden to harken vnto Dreamers of dreames, Deut. 13. 3. And the Lord himselfe by the Prophet Ieremie, taxeth the false Prophets, who broached false doctrine in his name by this deuillish meanes, saying, I haue dreamed, I haue dreamed, Ier. 23. 25.

Yet here it is to be remembred, that foretelling of future things by dreames, is not simply to be condemned, but onely in part. For of dreames there be three sorts, Diuine, Naturall, and Diabolicall. Diuine, are, those which come from God: Naturall, which proceede from a mans owne nature, and arise from the qualitie and constitution of the bodie: Diabolicall, which are caused by the suggestion of the deuill.

Touching Diuine dreames: that there are, or at least haue beene such, it is euident. For these be the words of God, Numb. 12. 6. If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you, I will be knowne vnto him by a vision, and will speake vnto him by a dreame. And Iob saith, that God speaketh in dreames and visions of the night, when sleepe falleth vpon men, and they sleepe vpon their beds, Iob. 33. 15. Now these diuine dreames were caused in men, either immediately by God himselfe, as the former places shew; or by meanes of some good Angel. In this latter kind was Ioseph of[…]en admonished in dreames what to doe, by the ministerie of an Angel; as Matth. 1. 20. and chap. 2. 13. 19. and diuining by such dreames, is not condemned, for by them the most worthie Prophets of God haue reueiled Gods will in many things to his Church. Thus Ioseph by dreame had notice giuen him of his owne aduancement, Gen. 37. 7. 9. and by Pharaohs dreames which were sent from God, he also foretold the state of the kingdome of Egypt, touching prouision for seauen years dearth, Gen. 41. 25. By the same meanes the Prophet Daniel prophesied of the flourishing & fading of the chiefe Monarchies of the world, from his time to the comming of Christ, Dan. 9. &c. these therefore beeing one of the extraordinary means, whereby God hath manifested his will vnto man in times past, more or lesse; diuination by them is not to be censured as vnlawfull, but rather to be honoured and esteemed, as the ordinance of God.

For the second sort which be Naturall, arising either from the thoughts of the mind, or the affections of the heart, or the constitution of the bodie: as they are ordinarie in all mē, in some more, in some lesse: so they vary according to the diuersitie of mens thoughts, affections, and constitutions: and by them a man may probably coniecture of sundrie things concerning the state and disposition, partly of his bodie, and partly of his minde.

As first he may gesse in likelihood, what is his constitution, as the learned in all ages, doe constantly auouch. For when his mind in dreaming runnes vpon warrs, and contentions, fire, and such like, it argueth his complexion is cholerick. When he dreames of waters and […], it betokeneth abundance of phlegme. When his phantasie conceiueth heauie and dolefull things, full of griefe, feare, and horrour, it bewraieth a melancholike constitution. When his dreames be ioyfull and pleasant, as of mirth, pastimes, and delightful newes, his complexion is iudged to be sang[…]i[…].

[…] Againe, by naturall dreames a man may gess[…]ar the corruption of his owne heart[…], and know to what sinnes he is most naturally inclined. For looke what mon doe ordinarily in the day time conceiue and imagine in their corrupt hearts, of the same, for the most part, they d[…]e corruptly dreame in the night. And this is the rather to be obserued, because though the wicked man shut his eyes, and stoppe his eares, and harden his heart, and will not take notice of his enormities by the light of the Law; yet euen by his owne dreames in the night, his wickednes shall be in part discouered, and his conscience thereby conuinced, and he himselfe left in the end inexcusable before God. Now albeit a man may giue a probable coniecture of the premisses by natural drems; yet no diuination of things to come, whether publike or priuate, good or bad, can be made by them, either concerning persons, families, or kingdoms. Therefore the common obseruations of dreames in the world, whereby men imagine things to come to passe, & accordingly foretel them by those means, are vaine and superstitious, and iustly so condemned in the places before named, Deut. 13. Ier. 23.

Concerning the thirde kinde of dreames, which are caused by the deuil; It hath beene granted in all ages for a truth, that Satan can frame dreames in the brayne of man, and by them reueale his diui[…]ations. And it is plainly manifested by the continuall obseruation of the Gentiles, before the comming of Christ. For when Oracles, (that is, answers from the deuill) were in force, men that vsed to consult with them, and desired to be resolued in matters of doubt, were to lay them downe and sleepe beside the altar of Apollo, where they had offred their gift, and sleeping they receiued in a dreame, the answer for which they came; and this dreame was framed in the braine of him that slept, by the deuill, and in it the answer was deliuered by him speaking at or in the Oracle. So likewise in the Primitiue Church, since the comming of Christ, though Oracles then ceased, which were the greatest and strongest delusions that euer Satan had: yet he hath by dreames and visions wrought in the heads of many men most strange and curious concei[…]s for the raising vp of heresies, to the great disturbance of the peace of the Church. For we read in Ecclesiasticall stori[…]s, that the Maniches had their damnable opinions first inspired into them, and then confirmed by dreames. And in this age the first authors of the sect of the Anabaptists, had their curious conceits of reuelation, partly in dreames, partly in visions. Likewise the Familie of loue haue their reuelations in dreames. For he that desires to become one of that sect, must ascend thereunto by degrees, before he can come to perfection to be an elder illuminate, or a man deified; to which estate when he is once come, he hath for his confirmation strong Illusions, both waking and sleeping in visions and dreames. Histories of latter times, and wofull experience sheweth this to be true, the deuill preuailing so strongly, that many haue fallen away by this meanes, beeing corrupted by a doctrin meerely carnall, howsoeuer maintained with pretense of great holynes. Againe, as the good Angels may cause diuine dreames from God, and therei[…] reuile vnto men his will and pleasure concerning things to come: so no doubt the euill spirits may cause in men diabolicall dreames, and therein reueile vnto them many strange things, which they by meanes vnknowne to men, may foresee and knowe. By all which it is euident, that there are and may be as well diabolicall, as diuine dreames.

The conclusion then is this: That as diuining by the second sort is superstitious, hauing no ground from Gods word: so fortelling by this third sort is flat Witchcraft, directly condemned in the places aforenamed, where men are forbidden to prophesie by them, or to regard them.

Yet forasmuch as dreames be of sundrie kinds, as hath beene said, it shall not be amisse to set downe some notes of difference betweene them, whereby they may be knowne and distinguished each from other. Which point indeede hath long agone beene handled in the Primitiue Church, but hardly determined. For the learned of that age haue auouched it a very hard matter, considering that the deuill in these, as well as in other things, can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light. But howsoeuer the case be hard, and the deuil politicke, yet by light of direction from the word of God, there may some true differences be set downe betweene them; as namely these.

First of all; diuine dreames haue alwaies had their preeminence aboue others, that generally they haue concerned the weightiest matters in the world; as the comming and exhibiting of the Messias, the changes and alterations of Kingdomes, the reueiling of Antichrist, & the state of the Church of God. And this may plainly appeare by those which Ioseph expounded vnto Pharaoh, and Daniel vnto the Kings of Babel and Persia. But in the other sort it is otherwise. For if there be any thing represented more then ordinarie in those that be naturall, it proceedeth meerely from fancie and imagination. And as for diabolical, they are not of so waightie matters, nor so hard to foretell. For though the deuill haue great power and skill, yet it is aboue his reach to determine of such things as these are, or to foretell them without helpe from God.

Secondly, diuine dreames be alwaies either plaine and manifest, or if they be obscure, yet they haue a most euident interpretation annexed vnto them. Of the plainer sort, were the dreames of Ioseph the husband of Marie. Matth. 1. Of the other sort were Pharaohs, very darke and hidden, but God raised vp Ioseph to giue them an casie interpretation vpon the instant. Gen. 41. Nebuchadne[…]sars dreames were full of obscuritie, and many matters were contained in thē, so as his spirit was troubled, and he forgat them; but God stirred vp Daniel and reuealed to him the secret, so as he remembred it to the King, and declared the true meaning thereof, Dan. 2. 1. 28. 36. Lastly, Daniels dreames of the foure beasts, &c. were of like difficultie, but the Angel Gabriel was presently sent to make him vnderstand them, Dan. 8. 16. Now those that are caused by the Deuill, as they be obscure and intricate, so the interpretation of them is ambiguous and vncertaine, because he himselfe cannot infallably determine how things shall come to passe, and thereupon is constrained to giue doubtfull answers by dreames. And such were not onely the auncient Oracles among the heathen, where he gaue the resolution, but the moderne Prophecies giuen by him to some of his instruments in later time.

Thirdly, the dreame that comes from God, is alwaies agreeable to his reuealed will, and representeth nothing contrarie to the same, in whole or in part: whereas those that proceed from nature, doe sauour of nature, and bee agreeable to mans corruption, which is repugnant vnto Gods will. And those that are suggested by Satan, are of the same nature; the generall scope whereof is to crosse the will of God, and to withdrawe the heart from obedience therevnto.

Fourthly, diuine dreames […] a[…] this ende, to further religion and ple[…]e, and to maintaine true doctrine: but the deuill, an enemie to God, worketh in his dreames the subuersion of true religion, & the worship of God, that in the roome thereof he may set vp Idolatrie and superstition. For so much we learne, Deut. 13. where the false Prophet brings his dreame, and vtters it, yea and confirmeth it by a wonder; but marke his ende: It was to draw men to Apostacie: Let vs (saith he) goe after other Gods; which thou hast not knowne, and let vs serue them, vers. 2. Answerable to which, was the practise of the false Prophets afterwardes, who caused the people to erre […]y their lies and flatteries. Ierem. 23. 32.

To conclude this point, it must be here remembred, that howsoeuer there […]re and haue beene distinct sorts of dreams, yet those which are from God, were onely in ordinarie vse in the old Testament, and in the Church of the New, are ceased, and take not place ordinarily. Whereas therefore men in their sleepes haue dreames, they must take them commonly to be naturall, & withall know that they may be diabolicall, or mixt partly of the one kind, partly of the other. And howsoeuer there may be some vse of the naturall, as hath beene said, yet commonly they are not to be regarded. And for the other which are from Satan, or mixt, they are not to be receiued, beleeued, or made meanes whereby to foretell things to come, least by this vse of them, we grow into familiaritie with the deuill, and before God be guilty of the sin of Witchcraft.

§ 5. The fift and last kind of Diuination by true meanes, is by Lots, when men take vpon them to search out fortune (as they vse to speake) that is, good or bad successe in any busines, by casting of Lots, whether it be by casting a die, or opening of booke, or any such casuall meanes. I mention this the rather, because among the ignorant and superstitious sort, such practises are cōmon & in great accoūt: the Lot is an ordinance of God, appointed for speciall ends and purposes, but when it is thus applyed, it ceaseth to be lawfull, because it is abused to other ends then God by his word & ordinance hath allowed.

That we may the better knowe the abuse of a Lot in this kind, we must remember there be three sorts of Lots; the Ciuill, the Sporting, and the Diuining Lot.

The ciuill vse of Lots, is, when they be vsed for the ending of controuersies: the diuiding of lands and heritages: the disposition of offices amongst many that are equally fit, the trying of the right in doubtfull things, or lastly the discouerie of a malefactor hid amongst many suspected. By this vse of the Lot, was Saul chosen to be king ouer Israel, 1. Sam. 10. 21. the skape-goate separated frō that which was to be sacrificed, Leuit. 16. 8. the land of Canaan diuided among the children of Israel, Iosh. 14. 2. &c. the trespasse of Achan found out, Iosh. 7. 15. and Matthias chosen to be one of the twelue, Act. 1. 26. and of this Lot Salomon saith, Pro. 18. 18. The Lot causeth contentions to cease, and maketh partitions among the mightie. Hereupon the ciuill vse of Lots hath his warrant in Gods word, so it be lawfully vsed in case of necessitie, with i[…]uocation of the name of God, and with expectation of the euent from God, by whose hand & immeadiate prouidence it is disposed. For the Lot (saith Salomon) is cast into the lap, but the whole disposition thereof is from the Lord, Pro. 16. 33.

The Sporting Lot is that which is commonly vsed for some vaine and vnnecessary ende; as to set vp banck-rupts, or such like. This hath no warrant in the word of God whereupon men should vse it, and therefore is no better then an abuse of Gods ordinance, to speake no more of it.

Now the diuining Lot performed by the opening of a booke, or the casting of a die, or such like, thereby to declare good or bad successe, cannot be done without confederacie with Satan either explicite, or implicite. For the plaine cast of a die, or the opening of a booke without beleeuing, can doe nothing for discouering of future contingents. And what is there in the nature of these actions to produce such effects? or where, or when did God giue this vertue to them, certainely to determine of things hidden from man, and knowne onely to himselfe? Diuination therefore by them is to be holden as a practise, not onely sauouring of superstition, but proceeding from the arte of Witchraft and Sorcetie.

And thus much of Diuination by meanes of the creatures; and the seueral kinds thereof.