To the readers, and the catalogue of authors used

To the READERS.

TO you that are wise and discreet, few words may suffice; for such a one judgeth not at the first sight, nor Reproveth by hearsay; but patiently heareth, and thereby increaseth in understanding: which patience bringeth forth experience whereby true judgement is directed. I shall not need therefore, to make any further suite to you, but that it would please you to read my Book, without the prejudice of time, or former conceit; and having obtained this at your hands, I submit my self unto your censure. But to make a solemn suit to you that are partial Readers, desiring you to set aside partiality, to take in good part my writing, and with indifferent eyes to look upon my Book, were labour lost, and time ill imployed: For I should no more prevail herein, then if a hundred years since I should have intreated your predecessors to believe, that Robin Good-fellow, that great and ancient Bull-begger, had been but a cosening Merchant, and no Devil indeed.

If I should go to a Papist, and say, I pray you believe my writings, wherein I will prove all Popish Charms, Conjurations, Exorcisms, Benedictions and Curses, not only to be ridiculous, and of none effect, but also to be impious and contrary to God's Word: I should as hardly therein win favour at their hands, as herein obtain credit at yours. Nevertheless, I doubt not, but to use the matter so, that as well the Massemonger for his part, as the Witchmonger for his, shall both be ashamed of their Professions.

But Robin Good-fellow ceaseth now to be much feared, and Popery is sufficiently discovered. Nevertheless, Witches Charms, and Conjurors Cosenages are yet though effectual. Yea, the Gentiles have espyed the fraud of their cosening Oracles, and our cold Prophets and Inchanters make us fools still, to the shame of us all, but specially of Papists, who conjure every thing, and thereby bring to pass nothing. They say to their Candles, I conjure you to endure for ever; and yet they last not a Pater Noster while the longer. They conjure water to be wholesome both for body and soul; but the body (we see) is never the better for it, nor the soul any whit reformed by it. And therefore I marvel, that when they see their own Conjurations confuted and brought to nought, or at the least void of effect, that they (of all other) will yet give such credit, countenance, and authority to the vain cosenages of Witches and Conjurors; as though their Charms and Conjurations could produce more apparent, certain, and better effects then their own.

But my request unto all you that read my Book shall be no more, but that it would please you to conferr my words with your own sense and experience, and also with the Word of God. If you finde your selves resolved, and satisfied, or rather, reformed and qualified in any one point or opinion, that heretofore you held contrary to truth, in a matter hitherto undecided, and never yet looked into; I pray you take that for advantage: and suspending your judgement, stay the sentence of condemnation against me, and consider of the rest, at your further leisure. If this may not suffice for to perswade you, it cannot prevail to annoy you: and then, that which is written without offence, may be overpassed without any grief.

And although mine assertion, be somewhat differing from the old inveterate opinion, which I confess hath many gray hairs, whereby mine adversaries have gained more authority then reason, towards the maintenance of their presumptions, and old wives fables; yet shall it fully agree with God's glory, and with his holy Word. And albeit there be hold taken by mine Adversaries, of certain few words or sentences in the Scripture that make a shew for them; yet when the whole course thereof maketh against them, and impugneth the same; yea, and also their own places rightly understood, do nothing at all relieve them: I trust their glorious title and argument of Antiquity, will appear as stale and corrupt as the Apothecaries Drugs, or Grocers Spice, which the longer they be preserved, the worse they are. And till you have perused my Book, ponder this in your mind, to wit, that Sagae, Thessalae, Striges, Lamiae (which words and none other being in use do properly signifie our Witches) are not once found written in the old or new Testament: and that Christ himself, in his Gospel, never mentioned the name of a Witch. And that neither he, nor Moses ever spake any one word of the Witches bargain with the Devil, their hagging, their riding in the Air, their transferring of Corn or Grass from one field to another, their hurting of Children or Cattel with words or charms, their bewitching of Butter, Cheese, Ale, &c. nor yet their transubstantiation; insomuch as the writers hereupon are not ashamed to say, That it is not absurd to affirm, that there were no Witches in Jobs time: The reason is, that if there had been such Witches then in being, Job would have said, he had been bewitched. But indeed men took no heed in those dayes to this doctrine of Devils; to wit, to these fables of Witchcraft, which Peter saith, shall be much regarded and hearkned unto in the latter dayes.

Howbeit, how ancient soever this barbarous conceit of Witches Omnipotency is, Truth must not be measured by Time; for every old Opinion is not sound. Verity is not impaired, how long soever it be suppressed: but is to be searched out, in how dark a corner soever it lye hidden; for it is not like a cup of Ale that may be broached toe rathe. Finally, time bewrayeth old errors, and discovereth new matters of truth. Danaeus himself saith, that this question hitherto hath never been handled; nor the Scriptures concerning this matter have never been expounded. To prove the antiquity of the cause, to confirm the opinion of the ignorant, to inforce mine Adversaries Arguments, to aggravate the Punishment, and to accomplish the Confusion of these old women, is added the vanity and wickedness of them which are called Witches; the arrogancy of those which take upon them to work Wonders; the desire that people have to hearken to such miraculous matters, unto whom most commonly an impossibility is more credible than a verity; the ignorance of natural causes; the ancient and universal hate conceived against the name of a Witch; their ill-favoured faces; their spiteful words; their curses and imprecations; their charmes made in rime, and their beggery; the fear of many foolish folk; the opinion of some that are wise; the want of Robin Good-fellow and the Fairies, which were wont to maintain that, and the common peoples talk in this behalf; the authority of the Inquisitors; the learning, cunning, consent, and estimation of Writers herein; the false translations and fond interpretations used, specially by Papists, and many other like causes. All which toyes take such hold upon mens fancies, as thereby they are led and enticed away from the consideration of true respects, to the condemnation of that which they know not.

Howbeit, I will (by God's grace) in this my Book, so apparently decipher and confute these Cavils, and all other their Objections, as every Witchmonger shall be abashed, and all good men thereby satisfied. In the mean time, I would wish them to know, that if neither the estimation of God's Omnipotency, nor the tenor of his Word, nor the doubtfulness, or rather the impossibility of the case, nor the small proofs brought against them, nor the rigor executed upon them, nor the pitty that should be in a Christian heart, nor yet their simplicity, impotency, or age, may suffice to suppress the rage or rigor wherewith they are oppressed; yet the consideration of their sex or kind, ought to move some mitigation of their punishment. For if nature (as Pliny reporteth) hath taught a Lyon not to deal so roughly with a Woman as with a Man, because she is in body the weaker vessel, and in heart more inclined to pitty (which Jeremiah in his Lamentations seemeth to confirm) what should a Man do in this case, for whom a Woman was created as an help and comfort unto him? In so much as even in the law of Nature, it is a greater offence to stay a Woman than a Man; not because the Man is not the more excellent creature, but because a Woman is the weaker vessel. And therefore among all modest and honest persons, it is thought a shame to offer violence or injury to a Woman; in which respect Virgil saith:

—Nullum memorabile nomen
Foeminea in poena est.

God that knoweth my heart is witness, and you that read my Book shall see, that my drift and purpose in this enterprise tendeth only to these respects. First, that the glory and power of God be not so abridged and abased, as to be trust into the hand or lip of a lewd old Woman; whereby the work of the Creator should be attributed to the power of ae Creature. Secondly, that the Religion of the Gospel may be seen to stand without such peevish trumpery. Thirdly, that lawful favour and Christian compassion be rather used towards these poor souls, than rigor and extremity. Because they which are commonly accused of Witchcraft, are the least sufficient of all other persons, to speak for themselves; as having the most base and simple education of all others; the extremity of their age giving them leave to dote, their poverty to leg, their wrongs to chide and threaten (as being void of any other way of revenge) their humor Melancholical, to be full of imaginations, from whence chiefly proceedeth the vanity of their confessions; as that they can transform themselves and others, into Apes, Owls, Asses, Dogs, Cats, &c. that they can flie in the Air, kill Children with Charms, hinder the coming of Butter, &c.

And for so much as the Mighty help themselves together, and the poor Widows cry, though it reach to heaven, is scarce heard upon earth; I thought good (according to my poor ability) to make intercession, that some part of common rigor, and some points of hasty judgement may be advised upon. For the world is now at that stay (as Brentius in a most godly Sermon in these words affirmeth) that even as when the Heathen persecuted the Christians, if any were accused to believe in Christ, the common people cryed Ad Leonem: So now, if any Woman, be she never so honest, be accused of Witchcraft, they cry Ad Ignem. What difference is between the rash dealing of unskilful people, and the grave counsel of more discreet and learned persons, may appear by a tale of Danaeus his own telling; wherein he opposeth the rashness of a few Townsmen, to the counsel of a whole Senate; preferring the Folly of the one, before the Wisdom of the other.

At Orleance on Loyre (saith he) there was a Man-witch, not only taken and accused, but also convicted and condemned for Witchcraft, who appealed from thence to the high Court of Paris: Which accusation the Senate saw insufficient, and would not allow, but laughed thereat, lightly regarding it; and in the end sent him home (saith he) as accused of a frivolous matter: And yet for all that, the Magistrates of Orleance were so bold with him, as to hang him up within a short time after, for the same or the very like offence. In which example is to be seen the nature, and as it were the disease of this cause; wherein (I say) the simpler and undiscreetor sort are alwayes more hasty and furious in judgments, than men of better reputation and knowledge. Nevertheless, Eunichius saith, that these three things, to wit, what is to be thought of Witches, what their Incantations can do, and whether their punishment should extend to death, are to be well considered. And I would (saith he) they were as well known, as they are rashly believed, both of the learned and unlearned. And further he saith, That almost all Divines, Physicians and Lawyers, who should best know these matters, satisfying themselves with old custom, have given too much credit to these fables, and too rash and unjust sentence of death upon Witches. But when a man pondreth (saith he) that in times past, all that swarved from the Church of Rome, were judged Hereticks; it is the less marvel, though in this matter they be blind and ignorant.

And surely, if the Scripture had been longer suppressed, more absurd fables would have sprung up, and been believed. Which credulity though it is to be derided with laughter, yet this their cruelty is to be lamented with tears: For (God knoweth) many of these poor wretches had more need to be releived than chastised; and more meet were a Preacher to admonish them, than a Jaylor to keep them; and a Physician more necessary to help them, than an Executioner or Tormentor to hang or burn them. For proof and due tryal hereof, I will requite Danaeus his tale of a Man-witch (as he termeth him) with another Witch of the same sex or gender.

Cardanus from the mouth of his own Father reporteth, That one Bernard, a poor servant, being in wit very simple and rude, but in his service very necessary and diligent (and in that respect dearly beloved of his Master) professing the Art of Witchcraft, could in no wise be disswaded from that profession, perswading himself that he knew all things, and could bring any matter to pass; because certain Countrey-people resorted to him fof help and counsel, as supposing by his own talk, that he could do somewhat. At length he was condemned to be burned; which torment he seemed more willing to suffer, than to lose his estimation in that behalf. But his Master having compassion upon him, and being himself in his Princes favour, perceiving his conceit to proceed of Melancholy, obtained respit of execution for twenty dayes. In which time (saith he) his Master bountifully fed him with good fat meat, and with four eggs at a meal, as also with sweet Wine: which diet was best for so gross and weak a body. And being recovered so in strength, that the humor was suppressed, he was easily won from his absurd and dangerous opinions, and from all his fond imaginations: and confessing his error and folly, from the which before no man could remove him by any perswasions, having his pardon, he lived long a good member of the Church, whom otherwise the cruelty of judgement should have cast away and destroyed.

This history is more credible than Sprengers fables, or Bodins bables, which reach not so far to the extolling of Witches Omnipotency, as to the derogating of God's glory. For if it be true, which they affirm, that our life and death lyeth in the hand of a Witch; then is it false, that God maketh us to live or die, or that by him we have our being, our terme of time appointed, and our dayes numbred. But surely their Charmes can no more reach to the hurting or killing of Men or Women, that their imaginations can extend to the stealing and carrying away of Horses and Mares. Neither hath God given remedies to sickness or griefs, by Words or Charms, but by Hearbs and Medicines, which he himself hath created upon earth, and given Men knowledge of the same; that he might be glorified, for that therewith he doth vouchsafe that the Maladies of Men and Cattel should be cured, &c. And if there be no affliction nor calamity, but is brought to pass by him; then let us defie the Devil, renounce all his works, and not so much as once think or dream upon this supernatural power of Witches, neither let us prosecute them with such despight, whom our fancy condemneth, and our reason acquitteth: our evidence against them consisting in impossibilities, our proofs in unwritten verities, and our whole proceedings in doubts and difficulties.

Now because I mislike the extream cruelty used against some of these silly souls (whom a simple Advocate having Audience and Justice, might deliver out of the hands of the Inquisitors themselves) it will be said, That I deny any punishment at all to be due to any Witch whatsoever. Nay, because I bewray the folly and impiety of them, which attribute unto Witches the power of God: these Witchmongers will report, that I deny there are any Witches at all; and yet behold (say they) how often is the word [Witch] mentioned in the Scripture? Even as if an Idolater should say, in the behalf of Images and Idols, to them which deny their power and godhead, and inveigh against the reverence done unto them, How dare you deny the power of Images, seeing their names are so often repeated in the Scriptures? But truly I deny not that there are Witches or Images; but I detest the Idolaters opinions conceived of them; referring that to God's work and ordinance, which they impute to the power and malice of Witches; and attributing that honour to God which they ascribe to Idols. But as for those that in very deed are either Witches or Conjurors, let them hardly suffer such punishment as to their fault is agreeable, and as by the grave judgement of law is provided.

A Catologue of AUTHORS used in this Book.

Forain Authors.

• AELianus.
• Actius.
• Albertus Crantzius.
• Albertus Magnus.
• Albumazar.
• Alcoranum Franciscanorum
• Alexander Trallianus.
• Algerus.
• Ambrosius.
• Andradias.
• Andraeas Gartnerus.
• Andraeas Massius.
• Antonius Sabellicus.
• Apollonius Tyanaeus.
• Appianus.
• Apuleius.
• Archelaus.
• Argerius Ferrarius.
• Aristoteles.
• Arnoldus de Villa nova.
• Artemidorus.
• Athanasius.
• Averroës.
• Aagustinus episcopus Hip.
• Augustinus Nipus.
• Avicennas.
• Aulus Gellius.
• Barnardinus de bustis.
• Bartholomaeus Anglicus.
• Berosus Anianus.
• Bodinus.
• Bordinus.
• Brentius.
• Calvinus.
• Camerarius.
• Campanus.
• Cardanus Pater.
• Cardanus Filius.
• Carolus Gallus.
• Cassander.
• Cato.
• Chrysostomus.
• Cicero.
• Clemens.
• Cornelius Agrippa.
• Cornelius Nepos.
• Cornelius Tacitus.
• Cyrillus.
• Danaeus.
• Demetrius.
• Democritus.
• Didymus.
• Diodorus Siculus.
• Dionysius Areopagita.
• Diascorides.
• Diurius.
• Dodonaeus.
• Durandus.
• Empedocles.
• Ephesius.
• Erasmus Roterodamus.
• Erasmus Sarcerius.
• Erastus.
• Eudoxus.
• Eusebius Caesariensis.
• Fernelius.
• Franciscus Petrarcha.
• Fuchsius.
• Galenus.
• Gerropius.
• Gallasius.
• Gemma Phrysius.
• Georgius Pictorius.
• Gofridus.
• Goschalcus Boll.
• Gratianus.
• Gregorius.
• Grillandus.
• Guido Bonatus.
• Gulielmus de sancto Clodoaldo.
• Gulielmus Parisiensis.
• Hemingius.
• Heraclides.
• Hermes Trismegistus.
• Hieronymus.
• Hilarius.
• Hippocrates.
• Homerus.
• Horatius.
• Hostiensis.
• Hovinus.
• Hypertus.
• Jacobus de Chusa Carthusianus.
• Jamblichus.
• Jaso Pratensis.
• Innocentius 8. Papa.
• Johannes Anglicus.
• Johannes Baptista Neapolitanus.
• Johannes Cassianus.
• Johannes Montiregrus.
• Johannes Rivius.
• Josephus ben Gorion.
• Josias Rimlerus.
• Isidorus.
• Isigonus.
• Juba.
• Julius Maternus.
• Justinus Martyr.
• Lactantius.
• Lavaterus.
• Laurentius Ananias.
• Laurentius à Villavicentio.
• Leo II. Pontifex.
• Lex Salicarum.
• Lex 12. Tabularum.
• Legenda Aurea.
• Legenda longa Coloniae.
• Leonardus Vairus.
• Livius.
• Lucanus.
• Lucretius.
• Ludovicus Coelius.
• Lutherus.
• Macrobius.
• Magna Charta.
• Malleus Maleficarum.
• Manlius.
• Marbacchius.
• Marbodeus Gallus.
• Marsilius Ficinus.
• Martinus de Arles.
• Mattheolus.
• Melancthonus.
• Memphradorus.
• Michael Andraeas.
• Musculus.
• Nauclerus.
• Nicephorus.
• Nicolaus 5. Papa.
• Nider.
• Olaus Gothus.
• Origenes.
• Ovidius.
• Panormitanus.
• Paulus Aegineta.
• Paulus Marsus.
• Persius.
• Petrus de Appona.
• Petrus Lombardus.
• Petrur Martyr.
• Peucer.
• Philarohus.
• Philastrius Brixiensis.
• Philodorus.
• Philo Judaeus.
• Pirkmairus.
• Platina.
• Plato.
• Plinius.
• Plotinus.
• Plutarchus.
• Polydorus Virgilius.
• Pomoerium sermonum Quadragesimalium.
• Pompanatius.
• Pontificale.
• Ponzivibius.
• Popphyrius.
• Prochus.
• Propertius.
• Psellus.
• Ptolomeus.
• Pythagoras.
• Quintilianus.
• Rabbi Abraham.
• Rabbi Ben Ezra.
• Rabbi David Kimhi.
• Rabbi Josuah Ben Levi.
• Rabbi Isaac Natar.
• Rabbi Levi.
• Rabbi Moses,
• Rabbi Sedajas Hajas.
• Robertus Carocullus.
• Rupertus.
• Sabinus.
• Sadoletus.
• Savanorola.
• Scotus.
• Seneca.
• Septuaginta interpretes.
• Serapio.
• Socrates.
• Solinus.
• Speculum exemplorum.
• Strabo.
• Sulpitius Severus.
• Synesius.
• Tatianus.
• Tertullianus.
• Thomas Aquinas.
• Themistius.
• Theodoretus.
• Theodorus Bizantius.
• Theophrastus.
• Thucydides.
• Tibullus.
• Tremelius.
• Valerius Maximus.
• Varro.
• Vegetius.
• Vincentius.
• Virgillius.
• Vitellius.
• Wierus.
• Xantus Historiographus.

English Authors.

• BArnaby Googe.
• Beehive of the Romish Church.
• Edward Deering.
• Geoffrey Chaucer.
• Giles Alley.
• Gnimelf Maharba.
• Henry Haward.
• John Bale.
• John Fox.
• John Malborn.
• John Record.
• Primer after York. use.
• Richard Gallis.
• Roger Bacon.
• Testament Printed at Rhemes.
• T. E. a nameless Authour, 467.
• Thomas Hills.
• Thomas Lupton.
• Thomas Moore Knight.
• Thomas Phaer.
• T. R. a nameless Authour, 393.
• William Lambard.
• W. W. a nameless Authour, 542.