The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft, chapter 5: That these things now in question are but barely supposed (part 5 of 7)

2. The Text it self doth plainly manifest, that they were not transformed into true Apostles, for then St. Paul had had no cause to have written so bitterly against them; but that notwithstanding that shew, form, or pretence that they held forth, and though outwardly they seemed to personate the true Apostles of Christ, yet that was but an external and hypocritical simulation; for really and truly they were false Apostles, [non-Latin script], and deceitful workers, [non-Latin script]. And so Satan may make what shews or pretences he will of goodness, piety, and of heavenly things, and so may counterfeit, dissemble and lye, yet still he remaineth a very accursed Devil, and is never really changed from his damned and diabolical Nature.

3. Satan is so transformed into an Angel of Light, as his Ministers are transformed into the Apostles of Christ. But Satans Ministers are not essentially transformed into the Apostles of Christ. Therefore neither is Satan essentially transformed into an Angel of Light. For though Satans Ministers may pretend never so much piety and zeal, and labour to personate and imitate the true Ministers of Christ, yet notwithstanding that pretended transformation, they still really and essentially remain as they were, that is, Deceivers and Hypocrites. And Satan for all his seeming and apparent personating and imitating the Angels of Light, he still remaineth in his essence and nature an Angel of Darkness, and a lying and accursed Wretch.

4. The Devil is never nor can be really and essentially transubstantiated into an Angel of Light, for then he could (indeed and in truth) be no longer a Devil, but his diabolical Nature would of necessity cease. But all his transformation is, when he intendeth most deeply to circumvent and deceive the sons of men, then he pretendeth the most religious and the holiest shews of all. Pretending in all outward appearance the holy affections, sincerity, and zeal of the holiest Angels of Light. For as St. Austin saith: Unless the malignity of Satan be sleightly and cunningly covered, his deceivable purpose is seldom or never effected.

5. The best and most sound Expositors, both ancient, middle, and modern do expound the place as we have urged it, of which we shall name only two or three. St. Chrysostom tells us this: Operarii dolosi: nam operantur quidem, sed revellunt ea quae sunt plantata: nam quoniam sciunt se aliter non posse esse acceptos, personâ veritatis sumptâ, erroris actum simulantes peragunt. And a little after he saith thus: Et multos Diabolus sic decipit, personâ in se acceptâ, & non factus Angelus lucis: sic illi personam Apostolorum circumferunt, non ipsam potentiam, ne q; fortes sunt. Dr. Hammond gives the Paraphrase of this place thus: For the truth is (he saith) these men that come to infuse false Doctrines into you, behave themselves as cunningly as they can, and do labour to imitate, and seem to do those very things, that we true Apostles do. And 'tis no unusual matter for Deceivers and Seducers to do so; for Satan himself pretends to do those things that the good Angels do, makes as if he meant you all kindness, when he comes to destroy you. And therefore 'tis not any thing strange, if seducing Hereticks, imployed by him, do imitate the actions of the Apostles of Christ; but according to the hypocrisie of their actions, so shall their ends be. See Theophylact and Calvin upon the place. So that we positively conclude, that from this place of Scripture no real or essential transformations of Devils can be proved at all.

6. There are natural Transformations by progression to perfection, as is manifest in Insects, which at the first to our view do appear to be Worms, Maggots, Creepers, or Caterpillers, and yet afterwards do become several sorts of winged Creatures, as Butterflies of many and various kinds, Flies, and the like; as that Creature, which here in the North Fishers do call a May-Fly, is first but a little Creeper inclosed in an Hull, as of pieces of straws, or the like: and so that which they call a Cod-bait, is like a yellow Maggot with a black head inclosed in a sandy crustaceous Husk, and yet towards the middle of August, or the beginning of September, becometh a fine yellowish Fly, which the Fishers use to bait withal, and these are but gradual progressions towards the perfection of the Animalcle, as the learned Author Johannes Swammerdanus hath declared in these words, as we find it laid down in the Philosophical Transactions: First it lays down the ground of all natural changes in Insects; declaring, that by the word Change, is nothing else to be understood but a gradual and natural evolution and growth of the parts, not any Metamorphosis or Transformation of them, and a great deal more of notable observations concerning the most sorts of Insects, as may be seen in the piece quoted in the Margent. So likewise there are very many strange transformations wrought by petrifactions both of Vegetables and Animals, or their parts, as may be seen by the Writings of many learned Authors, especially those noted in the Margent, to whom we refer the curious Inquirer. These being natural Transfigurations (for so they may be properly called) we cannot rationally suppose that any man of judgment will imagine, that any such can be produced by Devils or Witches, because they are brought forth by natural Principles and Agents, which Devils or Witches cannot over-rule, alter, nor hinder, else the whole and certain course that the Creator hath set in the order of the production and generation of natural things, might be suspended, which is not possible to be performed without an omnipotent Power, which the Devils and Witches have not. Besides the most of these require a suitable time for their production and perfection, which must only be performed by the internal operation of Nature, or by Art accelerating the works of Nature, which Devils and Witches cannot bring to pass.

7. There are divers other Transformations (at least so accounted and called) which because they are not absolutely pertinent to our purpose, we shall only mention slightly. 1. External changes of the body in respect of diseases, and some by an extraordinary power, as that of Moses, to whom the Lord said: Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: And when he took it out: behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again: And he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. Here we see that the same hand was made leprous white as snow, and was again restored as his other flesh. And this was done by a divine Power, such as neither Devils nor Witches can perform. So Gehazi of whom it is said: The leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. And here the judgment was permanent, and no restauration, and was a great Miracle, which Devils and Witches cannot perform. 2. There is feigned, and artificial transfigurations. So of David, of whom it is said: And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrambled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. And all this he prudently feigned, that he might escape from Achish the King of Gath, of whom he was sore afraid: So many Persons of Worth have disguised themselves strangely, that they might escape the hands of their enemies, or not fall into their power, and yet these were not done by the Devils Art, nor by Witchcraft. So a Stage-player transfigureth himself, sometimes to personate one person, and sometimes another; and though his outward habit, speech, and action be changed, yet he remaineth the same in Nature and Person that he was before those changes, and so maketh nothing for Witcheraft at all. 3. There are knavish Transfigurations and Counterfeiting for deceitful and wicked ends, as in those we call Gypsies, that discolour their faces and skins, to be more fit to cheat and cozen. So likewise do many other vile and wicked persons counterfeit Sores, Ulcers, Leprosie, Dropsie, and such like diseases, as may be seen at large in Ambrose Paraeus Book of Monsters, and we have seen and detected divers; and all this done only to deceive and abuse mens goodness and charity: But no more of Devil in any of these, but the wickedness of the mind, and the evil of the end and intention. Of a more wicked grain and temper are those, that for wicked and devilish ends counterfeit themselves to be possessed, and labour to make the World believe, that the Devil doth move in divers parts of their bodies, and doth speak in them, when it is nothing but only their own devilish cunning in lying and counterfeiting, as we shall have occasion to shew more fully hereafter. 4. There are also divers kinds of sportive and delusive Transformations, performed by those that use the Art of Leger-de-main or Juggling, wherein they pretend and seem to transubstantiate one thing into another, when by the agility of their hands, and the gesture of their face and body, they do but draw your eyes and attention another way, while they do but nimbly convey another thing in its place. And he that taketh these for Conjurers or Witches, and their Tricks for diabolical or Witchcraft, are surely under a devilish delusion, and are most strangely bewitched. And as for the changes wrought by Pharaohs Magicians, we shall particularly handle it in another place.

8. There are other Transformations mentioned in the Scripture, of which we shall now speak. 1. That transformation that the Grace and Spirit of God doth work inwardly in the minds and hearts of the Godly, which is not by changing their Nature or Persons, but by transforming their minds, and altering their wills and affections from sinful and earthly things, to those that are holy and heavenly: so the Apostle willeth the Romans, that they be transformed by the renewing of their minds, and so they come to be changed from glory to glory, and this were blasphemy to say, that either Devil or Witch could perform it. 2. There is a transformation wrought in the minds of the wicked by the just judgment of God; for the Text saith, speaking of Antichrist: Revealing even, him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lye. That they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. So in the case of Saul the Text saith: And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil Spirit from God came upon Saul. These therefore are inward judgments for wickedness, sent by God by the ministry of Satan, of which we shall speak more hereafter. 3. We lastly come to the main point, that is, concerning the transformation of Nebuchadnezzar, which the Witchmongers hold to be a real and an essential transubstantiation, therefore let us hear the words as they run in our English Translation, which are this: And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, they shall make thee eat grass as oxen. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like Eagles feathers, and his nails like birds claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me. At the same time my reason returned unto me. And a little before: Let his heart be changed from mans, and let a beasts heart be given unto him. From this place they commonly frame an argument to this purpose. That Nebuchadnezzar being really and essentially changed from a man to a beast or an ox, much more may Satan essentially transform himself into the shape of any Creature, and consequently that he may really change the Witches into Hares, Dogs, Cats, and the like. But we shall unanswerably prove that the assumption is false, that Nebuchadnezzar was not transubstantiated, or essentially transformed at all: And if he had been really so, yet that the consequence is invalid, and of no force, and that by these Arguments.

1. Because that being driven into the field, and eating grass as oxen, and having his body (it was his body, not the body of an oxe, and therefore no corporeal nor real change) wet with the dew of Heaven, do not at all conclude or infer, that his body was really and essentially changed, nor in the external figure of it altered from what it was before; for he might go upon all four, and eat grass, and yet that doth argue no real change of his bodily shape at all; for so have divers persons done, that being young, have been lost in Woods and Desarts, and have been brought up with Bears or Wolves. To which purpose take one story for all from Philip Camerarius, that learned Counsellor of Norimberg, a man of great credit and reputation, in these words. In the year 1543. there was in the parts of Hesse a Lad taken, who (as he reported afterwards, and so it was found true) when he was but three years old, was taken away, and afterwards nourished and brought up by Wolves. These Wolves, when they got any prey, would always bring the best of it to a Tree, and give it to the Child, which did eat it: in Winter and time of cold, they would dig a pit, and strew it with grass and leaves of trees, and thereupon lay the Child, and lying round about it, preserve him from the injury of the weather: after they would make him go upon all four, and run with him, till by use and length of time, he could skip and run like a Wolf; being taken, he was compelled by little and little to go only upon his feet. He would often say, that if it had been in his power, he could have taken more delight to have conversed among Wolves, than among men: he was carried to the Court of Henry Lantgrave of Hesse to be seen. And in the same Chapter he relateth another story to the same purpose of one that he himself had known and seen, that was of admirable agility, and more to the same end. Now must we conclude, that because this Boy did live and lye in the open air, was fed with raw flesh, and went upon all four, that therefore he was really and essentially cha[…]ged into a Wolf? no, that would be inconsequent and ridiculous; and so would it be, if because Nebuchadnezzar lay in the open field, was wet with the rain and dew, and did eat grass as an ox, to conclude, that therefore he was really changed into a beast; the absurdities are both alike. This is as mad a kind of inference, as if we should say, Conies and Geese do eat grass like an Ox, therefore they are Oxen or Asses, when notwithstanding they still retain their essential beings and shapes, without any essential transformations at all.

2. Because the hairs of his head (as the Text saith) were grown like to an Eagles feathers, and for that also the very nails of his hands and feet were like the claws of a bird: yet it doth not prove that he was really changed into a beast, and that for these Reasons. 1. Because it would be more consonant to conclude, that he was rather transformed into some bird, having feathers and claws, than into a beast that hath horns and hoofs, though there was in him no corporeal transformation at all, but only a changed mind. 2. The Text is not according to the Hebrew Phrase used when there is real transubstantiation, as in Lots Wife; Et fuit statua salis; but as Tremellius renders it: Usquedum pili ejus ut Aquilarum plumae crevissent, & ungues ejus ut avium. And Arias Montanus thus: Donec capillus ejus sicut Aquilarum crevit, & ungues ejus sicut avium: which is exactly agreeable to the Hebrew. So that the assertion is not, that his hairs were changed into Eagles feathers, nor his nails into birds claws, but that they were sicut as the feathers of Eagles, and as the claws of birds; the hairs by being grown ruffled, squalid, and rugged, and the nails by being grown long, hard, and crooked for want of cutting, dressing, combing, and ordering; and more change than this the words or sense do not bear. 3. There was no other change, but what was by natural growth; for the Hebrew word [Hebrew] doth properly signifie multus fuit, succrevit in multitudinem: so that the hairs were increased naturally in multitude and length, and the nails in magnitude and length, and so there was no essential change at all, but only an excessive augmentation of them both, he having lost the use of reason, whereby he could not use means to cut, cleanse, and order them. So that they did but grow squalid and ill-favour'd for want of using means to order and make them comely, even as many that have been lost, or left in Desarts, and desolate places, have after some length of time been found to be overgrown with hairs and ugly nails, that they have scarce been taken for men, but have appeared as savage and feral Monsters.

3. His restauration doth plainly testifie what kind of change it was; for that which was restored unto him, did bring him into the same condition that he was in, before this transformation; and that was his knowledge or understanding. Now therefore if his knowledge or understanding did reduce him to the right use of reason, and brought those conditions and qualities that he had before: Then it is most plain, that it was only his knowledge or understanding that was taken away or changed; and so there was no other transformation, but what was internal in the mind, judgment, or imagination, by altering his will, desires, cogitations, condition, and qualities, and so no essential transformation at all, nor no change of his external shape, but what grew naturally in regard of his hair and nails or skin, for want of due ordering and decent dressing. And that this is an unanswerable truth, the words in the Text do sufficiently testifie, which are in our English: And mine understanding returned unto me, and at the same time my reason returned unto me; therefore it was only his understanding and reason, that had for a time been turned from him, and at his restauration they returned, or came again. Tremellius renders the former Verse: Et mente meâ ad me reversâ Excelso benedixi. And in the latter: Mente meâ reversâ in me. In both Verses Arias Montanus renders it: Cognitio mea super me reversa est; for the Hebrew word there used [Hebrew] scivit, restituit, cognovit, agnovit, propriè est mentis & intellectûs, as Avenarius saith. And the Septuagint in both the Verses do agree with the Hebrew, [Hebrew]. And to this purpose doth the French, Italian, and Luthers Translation render it, only the vulgar Latine gives it by the word sensus, & figura mea reversa est, which is altogether vicious. So that from hence we may safely conclude, that this transformation was only internal and mental, and no essential change at all: of which a most learned Divine tells us thus much: Sunt nonnulli, inter quos est Johannes Bodinus, qui putant humanam figuram reverà fuisse ei ademptam. Ac sanè Deus pro sua omnipotentia miraculum hoc in rege isto impio facere, & humanam ejus naturam in bruti animalis essentiam mutare potuit: sed verisimilius est regem alienatum mente, vel etiam maniacum factum, ademptâ ei divinitùs mente, ut patet ex sequente vers. 34. & in furorem versum, sive per iram, sive per dolorem, ob acceptam ignominiam, quòd regiâ dignitate esset orbatu[…]. Sic Ericus Rex Sueciae in furorem est actus per iram & dolorem, quòd regno esset dejectus, Anno 1568.