Section II, Book 2, member 2, chapter 6: The magneticall nature and the loadstone

CHAP. VI.

That the devill doth make use of naturall things to operate his stratagems amongst men, without the which, he can effect nothing truly, but onely prestigiously, or by delusion; And, whether those Naturall things are therefore Cacomagicall, and to be eschewed of Mankind, because their secret effects do sometimes conform themselves unto the volu[…]ty of the devill.

WE read in many places in Scripture, that the devill maketh use of Gods creatures, to bring to pass his secret devices and stratagems against mankind: as for example, Satan, to impoverish and ruinate the fortune of patient Job, did make use of the winds, and did call (as the Text saith) the fire of God from heaven to consume his cattle. God forbid, that we should esteem for this reason these creatures of God to be cacomagicall and diabolicall, because God made them act to accomplish the will of the devill: He made him also a Prince of the aire, insomuch as he hath power to stir up tempests in the seas, and storms in the elementary heavens; and therefore the aire by some is called, The Synagogue of Satan: What! must we therefore abhor the aire and winds, because the devill doth at sometimes act by and in them his mischievous feats? when as the aire is cleared and purified from all corruption (as Aristotle saith rightly) by agitation of the winds, for if it were not excited and moved by the winds, it would putrifie, as the standing waters doth. Again, if we should fly from, and loath the aire, how should we live? when the airy spirit is the spirituall seed of our life. We read also in Scriptures, that God causeth the Sun indifferently to rise upon the good and bad, and that the Sun and Moon do harm or hurt some, as again they are comfortable and propitious unto others; and therefore David saith, The Sun shall not harm thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Moon, which is termed by the Poets, H[…]ccate, is the goddess of witches, for unto her did the famous Enchantress Medaea make her orisons, for the furthering of her purposes; and yet the aire, the water, and the earth, are seasoned with her humid or madid vertues, and the plants, yea, and animals, do acknowledge her the Patroness of vegetation; the maketh the seas to swell, and again, by another kind of her position or aspect, the seas are abated in their pride, and humours are more scanty in every living or vegetating thing: Yea, we finde, that all the malignant watry spirits are subject unto her influences; and that Satan also taketh his advantage on the diverse positions of her, or conjunctions and applications with other as well fixt as erratik starrs to work his feats: for he is an old beaten Souldier in Astrology, and knoweth the effects of every situation of the heavens, and therefore can take the advantage of their strongest influences, upon animal, vegetable, or minerall creatures, which are subject unto them, he knoweth the due times when they are poured down upon them, and is expert in their virtues, which are then onely of greatest efficacy and force, when the powerfull point of their proper constellation striketh upon them, and stirreth up their Centrall spirits, to shew forth the uttermost of their occult or arcane natures and conditions, and then at the very instant, he collecteth the herb or stone, or maketh use of the Animal's members, or teacheth such as are Sorcerers to do it, without knowing the mystery of the constellation's concurrence or application at that time of the collection with the naturall creatures so collected; So that when they attempt to make use of the same Simples at another time, they find them weak and of none effect; because the spirits of every herb, animal, or minerall, are weakest, when the starre which is their nursing celestiall mother, hath least power or dominion in heaven. All which the true Astrologicall Philosopher knoweth right well by experience, to be true: For gathering of a Simple at the point, when the constellation, as well fixt as erratick, which hath the essentiall dominion over it, is in his greatest dignity and power in heaven, he findeth an admirable efficacy in it, as well in his occult as evident property; when contrariwise, if it be collected at a season, wherein the heavenly Patron is weak and feeble, they will appear as it were faint and almost dead in their power: Whereby it is most apparent, that it is the naturall creature's, which by their own essentiall natures work, even as well those sympatheticall as antipatheticall effects, which the devill doth make use of to perform his devices, even as the Physitian, Philosopher or naturall Magitian doth, to effect their own ends. What shall we say then? what? that whosoever shall use or operate by the same creatures, be they animals, vegetabls, or minerals, are Cacomagicians and their work diabolicall, because the devill at some times maketh use of their subtil and abstruse action, to build himself a name amongst fools? Is it not God that worketh such effects in these his creatures? Did he not by his Word bestow such virtues on them in their Creation, and continued it in their sucession by generation? Why then is it not as possible unto Man, who is framed after God's Image, to know the true time of the collection of these creatures, with the uses and virtues thereof, as well as the devill? What? because, forsooth, he since the fall Adam, is blinded with ignorance, and cannot see or distinguish light from dakness? That Adam knew the virtues of the starrs and of every particular earthly creature subject unto every one of these starrs, we partly gather out of Scripture: For else could he not have assigned a proper name unto each of them, agreeing to his nature. But if the sucession of Adam is blind, and cannot distinguish of colours, and therfore is ignorant also in these hidden treasures of God; How, I pray you, came the devill to have so deep an insight in them, being that he fell for his rebellion, farre deeper than Man, and is clogged with a darker vayl than he, and therefore is called the Prince of darkness. Oh, you reply, the devill is a spirit without body, and therefore is able to discern the hidden things of God in nature, sooner and beter then Man, who is a gross bodily creature. And again, Man dieth every Age, but the devill by reason of his long continuance, is of great experience. I answer: That though Man die and continueth not long; and though he be obscured in his understanding by reason of his Fore-fathers fall; and though he be clad or indued with a dark and combersom body, yet hath he the revelation of the Truth, and a discovery of the abstruce mysteries of Naturall things first from God, bequeathed and left unto him by succession; that is, by a Cabalisticall tradition, even from our Fore-father Adam, and by the revelation of God's Wisdom, or the good Spirit, which he hath bestowed upon the Elect: For by it (as Solomon himself doth restifie) he came to know the disposition of the Earth; the virtue of the Elements; the beginning, end and middle of times; the change of manners the division of times; the course of the year; the disposition of the sta[…]rs; the natures of living creatures; the condition of beasts; the force of the winds; the differences of Plants; the virtues of roots; yea, saith he, and I discovered all hidden and abstruce things: For Wisdom who is the worker of all things taught it me, &c. And again, it is said, that he knew and was instructed in the mysteries of all Plants, even from the lowly Hysop, unto the lofty Cedar of Libanon. Was it then a diabolicall action in Solomon, to look after, and to practise upon the abstruce natures of Plants and Animals, and to find out by his skill in Astrology the proper starrs, which are their true Patrons and charitable Mothers in heaven, and to make election of their due times and seasons in gathering of them; being that the Divine Wisdom that made them, operates in them, and by them, taught him this skill; because the devill also is by his acute observation made partaker of their knowledg, and doth make use also of all these things to serve his own turn: What? because, I say he, hath this knowledg to elect every Simple, in his force and season, by observation of that reference which is between the starrs and them; Therefore must not Man be partaker of their natural virtues, or be made cunning in the skill of collecting them, but by the aide and revelation of the devill? When in flat terms the Scriptures say, that God made them all for the use of Man, must they be esteemed diabolicall in all that use them, and therefore be forbidden, because the devill doth sometimes serve his turn with them? As who should say, that God should create any thing, onely for the devil's use, and not to serve man in each necessity, and that according unto his free will, being that it is said, that He gave man power, and made him Lord over all his creatures. What if the animal, or vegetable, or mineral Simple, do in some cases harme and prove venomous, yet in other respects it proveth salutary. There is no wind so bad, but bloweth unto some men, good.

The Colloquintida, Scamony, Euphorbium, Cucumer asininus, Titimall, Bea[…]s-foot, Flammula, Garlick, and such like, in the vegetable kingdom, prove in some respects venomous, and yet may be applied after a salutary condition, unto the body of Man. Also Arsenick, Orpiment, Antimony, Quick-silver, and such like, in the minerall Sphere do kill, being malevolously and without correction applied. The Toad, the Viper, or Adder, the Spider, the Scorpion, the Can[…]harides, and such like in the animal region, are deadly poyson unto man kind; and yet they may be so prepared, that they may prove wholsome medicines unto him, and become counter-poysons. But besides all this, as there is nothing in the world, that worketh more effectually by Sympathy and according unto nature, than one wholsome and sound nature doth with another; So verily is there nothing, that operateth more Antipathetically, and contrary to nature or destructively, than the corruption of an empoysoned or infected spirit, doth with a wholsome spirit of his like Species. And the reason is because it coveteth and desireth by an earnest communication of his beams, to receive (as it were help and succor in its distress from the sound spirits, unto the irradiations whereof, it applieth it self for relief: as we see in the time of contagion, the spirit arising or emanating from the infected person, applieth his infected beams greedily unto the emanating spirit of his wholsome like; and so by a continuation of one unto the other, the fiery venome of the one impoysoneth and co-inquinateth the salutary nature of the other, and that onely with his specifick like: For commonly the Plague, familiar unto Men, doth not stick or cleave unto the spirit of beasts, namely unto that of Sheep, and such other. As in like manner, the Murren in beasts, infecteth not Man's spirit; but the like specifick nature is evermore aprest, to embrace and apply his beams unto his like: For this cause therefore it is evident, that as our of a wholsome Man, there may be had a spirituall Mummy, which is wondrous healthfull and salutiferous unto mankind; in[…]omuch that for his universall respects, it may be esteemed as a Panacaea or catholick medicine, to preserve health; So also there may be attracted out of Man, after a strange manner of corruption of his spirituall Mummy, a venome, than the which there cannot be found a more pernicious or malignant one to mankind in the world: For this reason therefore, a certain Jew, (as I was by a Merchant that came newly from Fess in Barbary unto L[…]orn credibly informed) after he had beheld an English Marriner in the ship, who had a red head, and faining himself to be much taken with the love of him, wrought so with him, that for 300 Pound, he agreed to sell himself unto him for his slave, thinking in time to come to give his Jewish Master the slip, and run away: Within a while after the ship being ready to return, and the Marriners going to take their leave of their captive fellow, they resorted unto the Jew's house, who after they had demanded for their fellow, led them into a back Court, where they found the red-headed captive, his back being broke, and a gagge in his mouth and chops and throat swollen; which, as he said, was caused by the stinging of Vipers, which were forced into his mouth; and so hung up and exposed unto the hot Sun, with a silver bason under his mouth, to receive that which dropped from his mouth; of which (as he related unto me) the Jew made a kind of poyson so deadly, that it did surely kill where it touched; affirming that he sold it at an excessive rate. The like was effected, (as I was told by the Pope's Apothecary, dwelling in Avinion; and since, it hath been confirmed by others, that came from Rome) by a certain Cardinal, who immediatly after he had got his red-headed Mistris with child, and nourishing her with all the delightfull dainties that might be, till she was delivered, did in a secret Court in his Pallace bury her, armes and all, unto the paps, and so let loose unto her two hungry Asps, or, as a German heard it related, two deformed Todes, the which making immediately unto her dugs, sucked, and in sucking bit her, and impoysoned her dugs; and when the Todes were full, that milk became (as he said) so venomous and deadly, that it infected any one that touched it, it was so subtle and piercing. And besides, (as the former story goeth) the woman was taken up, and after her back was broken, was hanged her legs upward against the Sun, to receive that venomous liquor which distilled from it into a silver vessell, wherewith he intended to have poysoned that Cardinall, which stood as a block in his way between the Popedom and him. But all was discovered, and he, according to his merit, did endure the fiery triall for it. And the reason why the red headed man or woman is elected most fit for this purpose, is, because they are subject by their nativity unto the influences of the Sun, and therefore are the more capable of, and obnoxious to corruption; wherefore their spirituall Mummy being contaminated by the animal poyson, is after his fermentation and putrefaction, made admirably subtle, and exceeding malitious. And although the sympatheticall desire be in the specifick Mummy, to be joyned with his like, yet by reason it is infected, and intoxicated by that antipatheticall spirit of the invenomed beast, which hath got the mastery over it, it cannot embrace his like sympathetically, but it infecteth it also by his antipatheticall additament, and so the accidentall venome converteth them both into his nature. That there was a certain Hermit, that lives not far off from A[…]x in Pr[…]vence, is fresh yet in every mouth of that place, that with the like philtre did infect the whole City with so desperate a plague, that it did destroy mo[…]t of the people the[…]eof; onely they were preserved and cured when this Hermit pleased, who for that cause was styled by th[…] name of Holy Hermit; for as he p[…]ysoned the hammers of each of the dores, so that whosoever knocked with them was fo[…]thwith infected, he that poysoned had his counter-poyson to cure. This devillish pe[…]son was at the last discovered, and burnt alive, as he well deserved. By the like stratagem, a little before my comming into Prov[…]nce, the plague was brought into Tu in in Piamont, by certain lewd persons, who suffered for it, their flesh being torn from them by hot fiery pincers. Also lately, by the strewing of a veno[…]ous powder, the plague was multiplyed in Millan, the conspirators dis[…]overed, and executed: And thus by these wicked inventions, the internall spirits of men were infected, and the externall aire polluted. Neither can this to the true Naturalist apppear strange, since it is proved by experience, that a wholsome aire is oftentimes converted by a venomous blast of the southern winde, […]nto a corrupted and contagious disposition, and the aire that was pure and unpolluted, is now by the pestiferous breath of a plaguy person, or the infecti[…] carbuncle, or both, inquinated and made venomous; and that aire so corrupted, will also corrupt his next aery neighbour, which was […]ound and healthfull before. Let us but observe, how the infected spirit of the plaguy person, or one possessed with the small Pox or Measels, Ptisick, or Ophthalmy, or blear eyes, doth infect the spirit of a sound man at a good distance; and the Leprosy, Epilepsy, French-Pox, by an immediate contact; and we shall find, how that which was created wholsom and salutary in man, is become contaminating and venomous by disorder. What therefore shall I say? must we conclude, that we must abandon our own nature, because it may be made infectious and deadly unto us? Nay, must we therefore esteem human nature to be therefore abhominable, and abhorred of man, because the witches and sorcerers do, by the devills doctrine and instructions, make use of mans flesh, hair, nailes, excrements, blood, yea, and of both his spirituall and corporall Mummy, to b[…]ing their wicked purposes and inchantments to pass? That this is so, we find it as well maintained by History, as daily practise, observed amongst the witches; for Apuleius (who, for his magicall relations, was censured by some to be a witch) telleth, how his sweet-heart […]otis, was by her mistress, being a notorious witch, sent into a Barbers shop secretly for mens hair, to employ it about her witchcraft. Also he sheweth, that it was a thing so frequent in those daies, by reason of the abundance of sorceresses which abode in Thessa[…]y, to have watch-men with store of lights, to attend upon the dead corses or corps, immediately after their death, to hinder and prevent the witches, which used to come in secretly by night, in the form of Weasels and such like shapes, to steal away some part of the carcase to serve their turns, about their wicked art. Moreover, it is a common thing, amongst them and the Necromancers, to frequent the Churchyards, and to visit the graves of such as are dead, either for some part of them, or else for a piece of their winding-sheet, or of the coffin wherein they were buried, by reason of the spirituall Mummy which sticketh unto them, to effect their ceremonies and naughty devices. It hath been confessed by a witch, that destroyed a Noblemans children of this Land, that she could have no power over one of them, till she had recovered an old glove that it wore, and afterward she had power over it: the reason was, because of the relation which the spirituall Mummy of the child, that entered by sweat into the glove, had with that of the body; no otherwise than that spirit upon the weapon hath, unto the spirit of the wounded body; so that as that fareth, either in hot or cold distempers, so also it fared with the spirit in the wound, as it appeared, when the ax or weapon was uncovered by chance, the wound would be dolorous and distempered with cold; and when of purpose part of the oyntment was pared off from the weapon, that part of the wound which corresponded unto it, would ake and be troubled; so also the witches, applying their naughty venom unto the Mummy in the glove, shooe, or other part of the worn-shirt, smock, sock, or such like, do produce their venomous effect afar off. We read also in cacomagicall books, in what esteem the members of young children were among enchanters, and especially their skin, of which, after many diabolicall and necromanticall consecrations, they create their virgin parchment, on which they write the names of god, of the angels they invoke, and the character of the planet or star unto which they do belong. Must therefore the magnetick effect of mans nature, or spirituall Mummy, with his like, be esteemed damn[…]ble and diabolicall, because the mystery thereof is by the devill revealed unto witches, and the secret p[…]operty thereof converted unto an evill sense, and unchristian-like use? Must aire be refused and banished from man, because it may be by bad means corrupted, and so be made to kil; or is fire to be excluded as condemnable, for that it, being ill applyed, proveth now destructive, which being rightly applyed, doth cherish and comfort? If by contaminating or changing our spirituall Mummy into a contagious and venomous disposition, we infect another, as one plaguy person poysoneth ano[…]her, ad distans; and one house on fire setteth fire unto another, though it be not contiguous or touching; must therefore the use of the aire and fire be condemned, and banished from mans use? Or, must Gods fire from heaven be abhorred, because Satan made use of it in a destructive sense, and for the ruine of Job's possession? Shall, I say, the occult property of the spirituall Mummy, and the admirable efficacy of mans spirit, in wholsome and salutary uses, be therefore eschewed and abhorred, because by infection it may be converted to a poysonsome disposition? Shall a good sword, which is ordained for the defence and safeguard of its master, b[…]herefore broke and cast away, because a bad man killeth another with it? A good thing being ill applyed, may do harm. The influence and light of the heavenly Sun, in the which is the spiracle of life, being ill received, doth sometime breed unnaturall effects, yea, the devill himself maketh use of it, to serve his use at severall seasons; and yet neither it, nor his vertues, can for all that be esteemed diabolicall. In like manner, if we descend from the animal sphear, unto the vegetable and mineral, we find, that the notorious Enchantress Medaea, made speciall use in her enchantments, (as also the same is related of other sorcerers and witches) of herbs, stones, and mineralls, without the help of which naturall things, neither they, nor their devill, which revealed unto them their secret vertues, could effect or accomplish their desires. And for this purpose, (as Ovid telleth the story) she searched the lofty tops of Ata, to find out herbs for her purposes. Many operate their feats by the vertuous property of stones, which the devill doth deliver unto them, though they themselves know neither the starry influence that giveth the force, nor yet how they should be prepared for the operations of such strange effects: As for example, There was a witch in Scotland, who at her arreignment did confess, that by the property of a stone which was taken from her, she could discover any thing, namely if a thing were true it would sweat, and if it were false, it would not sweat; and also it would reveal other things unto her by changing colours. And again, when they desired to see some conclusions from her, she said, that if they would let her have her stone, she would shew them some: But they fearing that she would escape by that means durst not let her have it, but did burn her at the Queens Ferry in Sco[…]land. Some are instructed by him to take a metal and to prepare it under his proper constellation, and to grave on it the characters of the star, and Angells belonging unto it, at su[…]h a time as the star is most potent in heaven, and well encountred by other Planets. And then they find these plates to be of a strange effect, in many Magical executions. What? And because the devill knoweth the virtue and properties of these naturall things, and can instruct his minsters in the evill usage of them; therefore doth it follow, that Adam, and Solomon, and the wise Magitians of the East, and many other good and godly persons, do not know their virtues, their times of collection, and their manner of application in goodness; yea, and if they see a just cause in a contrary sense, and that without the transgression of the bounds of naturall and lawfull Magick, whose true subject is the Spirit of Wisdom, which is the Basis or foundation of true Naturall Philosophy? What make we of the means which Moses used, when he by dispersing of ashes, brought the botch over all Aegypt? But some will say, that this was supernaturally done: Let them but look into the occult Secrets in the nature of other animals, vegetables, and mineralls, and they shall find as great mysteries as these contained naturally in them, all suspition of commerce with the devill being set apart. Was the reverend Father Albertus Magnus a Cacomagician, because he reciteth the abstruce, occult, and mysticall virtues of Animals, Plants, and Stones. The like did Hermes, Plato, and many other profound Philosophers. Or must these be the pupills of the devill, because they know the times and houres of their collection, and manner of preparation, though they kept that secret unto themselves? No verily, for they had it from tradition, namely from the mysticall and profound Philophers or naturall Wisemen, such as Solomon, Hermes, and the wise men called Magi, or naturall Magicians of the East, which revealed them unto the worthy, by succession from one Age unto another. Was it not a wondrous propery in Gyges his ring, that cold make him, by the naturall property that it had, to walk invisible? And yet forsooth the blind buzards of our Age (such, I say, as Mr. […]oster, and his Complices are) will have all these miraculous effects in the creatures, to proceed from the devill; and so deprive the Omnipotent Spirit of God, and his Nature, of their right; when Solomon in plain terms confesseth, that all the knowledg of the secret times of Election, of the mysticall natures in the stars, of the occult virtues and properties of Man, Beasts, Plants, and Roots, and all things else known or unknown, proceed from the Spirit of God, and therefore he concludeth in these words: Omnium enim opifex me docuit Sapientia: For wisdom the worker or maker of all things taught me. In which words he inferreth, first, That the Spirit of Wisdom teacheth, and discovereth unto man, the abstruce mysteries of Naturall Philosophy, which consisteth in the knowledg and discovery of naturall virtues, as well above as beneath. And secondly, That it is the same Spirit that made those virtues in every specifick thing, namely in the starrs above; and in the animal, vegetable, and minerall kingdoms beneath. Which being so, what can the devill, being but a reasonable creature as well as man, do, in the creating of these essentiall virtues by which he worketh his feats, more then man? Or why should we attribute that unto him, which doth rightly belong unto the all-creating and acting Spirit in the internall creature? If man please, he may attribute the wickednesse of the action unto the devill, which instigateth man to evill, and teacheth him the means to effect his bad intent; that, verily, doth of right belong unto the devill: For he was created for a destroyer, as the Prophet Isaias testifieth to us; and to effect it he maketh use of God's naturall creatures; for he used the fire of God from heaven, to destroy Job's cattle, and the corrupt aire to kill with the Plague or Pestilence the Israelites for David's sins: Neither was it ever observed, that he could do ought against man of himself, saving onely in temptation: but he opera[…]eth to destroy, or make sick by such naturall antipathising means, as God hath framed for a directer usage; although also unto some of his veneficall schollers, he is pleased to show and reveal a counter-poyson, by which they may by a stronger sympatheticall operation, drown or extinguish such antipatheticall effects as they have imposed upon man's externall spirit, when they are moved either for fear of punishment, or for gain, or fo[…] compassion to do it: which is the reason that some witches can undo those afflicting maladies, which they themselves, or other witches have laid on persons; but alwaies they must operate by a reall and manifest naturall Substance, as are Powders, Ointments, Herbs, and such like. As for example: Claudaea, Fellea, Joan, Banno and Nicola Piscatrix, with all their Society, in Lorraine, confessed the 9. of May 1581. that they had delivered unto them by the devill, subtill powders of three natures, the which were distinguished in colour: For (said they) that of a black colour killeth, being strewed on meat, or rubbed on the body, or sprinkled on the apparell; and that of an ashen or reddish colour, causeth diseases: but the white Powder did cure those diseases. And Odella Boncuriana being arraigned the 18. of January 1586. saith that it was the manner of the witches of his faction, to strew a poysoned powder in the way where they should pass, on whom they would work mischief. And Francis Perine, confessed the 4. of November 1588. that an herb was given her by the devill, to be laid in the way that Riberianus (who did beat her for stealing some of his peares) did pass, which caused him suddenly to fall sick. Francis Follers, and Marget Warny, and Jacobit Equine, confessed the 15. of January 1584. that they had Ointments, by which they anointed rods and whips; So that if they touched therewith, but the vestments of any one, he died not long after. Also they said, that if they anointed their hand with this Magicall Ointment, if they but touched any one's garments, they died within a small space after. Thus you see how the devill cannot work but by naturall poysons: For nothing proceedeth meerly of himself, but prestigious apparitions, namely those which seem, but indeed are no more in effect, then a painted image is in regard of the true substance.

And therefore let not the devil's ministers make their braggs, that this commeth from his invention: For the true Alchymists speak upon their own experience, that their Matter when it is in rotting and black, is more destructive then the venomous Tyrean or Serpent, and therefore it killeth suddenly; wherefore they warn the operatours to beware of their Fumes: but when it appeareth in decoction between white and black, it reduceth the Patient into a straight between death and health; that is, into a sickly constitution; and the white, which signifieth perfection of maturity, causeth health, and cureth infirmities, and preventeth the malice, that the black and ash colour bring with them; So that you see the devill can do no more of him self then man is able. Again, for strewing of the destroying powder, the same was effected by man's wicked invention in Millane, the yeare 1629. And for the Ointment which killeth by an immediate contact, the Jew and the Cardinall knew that wicked craft, namely to abuse God's creatures as well as the devill: for whosoever it touched, it killed; and again, the Hermit effected the same business by anointing the hammers of the doores, and had his Alexipharmacon or counter-poyson for it, as well as the devill; So that you may see that the wicked-minded man, that abuseth God's good creatures, as well as the devill, altering it from the true sense, for which it was created by God, for the benefit of Man; may rightly be rancked with the devill, and be termed justly, a devill incarnate, in that without the devil's furtherance; he can effect many devilish waies, to destroy, as well as the devill, without flesh and bones. I conclude therefore, that it is a great absurdity; yea, and a gross foppery or madness in ignorant men, so lightly to adjudge and censure the abstruce Magnalia, or occult Mysteries of God in Nature, as to affirm them to be actions or inventions of the devill, though their effects were bad, much less when they are good, and salutiferous; as is that of the Weapon-salve, when it is commonly known unto God, and all truly understanding men, that it is the animal, vegetable, or minerall creature, which effecteth the one by abuse, and the other in the true property and virtue; that is, for the use, for which it was created by God: For God created all creatures good, and consequently for a good use; but it is the malice of the devill, that diverteth it from his true use; which also is evidently confirmed by the Wiseman in these words, Creavit Deus ut essent omnia, & sanabiles fecit nationes orbis terrarum, & non est in illis medicamentum exterminii, nec Inferorum regnum in terra, creavitque hominem inexterminabilem, & ad imaginem similitudinis suae fecit eum: invidiâ autem Diaboli mors introivit in orbem terrarum: God created all things that they might exist or be, and made all the nations of the earth wholsome, and there is not any deadly thing to be found within them, nor yet the kingdom of hell and destruction upon the earth. And he created Man inex[…]erminable, that is, to last for ever, and he made him after his own image; but death entred into the world by the envy and malice of the devill, &c. For know this, that before the fall of Adam, all things were streightly and rightly taken, and consequently not mistaken; but after that he had tasted of the Tree of good and evill, his corporall eyes were open, and the creatures were interpreted and distinguished for good and evill, and were converted unto both uses; for from that hour, the mysteries of iniquity and righteousnesse began to reigne in the world, and evill began in the very first practise after the fall, to shoulder goodness; and vice did first prevail against vertue, and by naturall means was employed by the first fruits of wickedness, to wit, the vegetable creature, or a piece of wood, by the envy of unrighteous Cain, to knock out the braines of his righteous brother Abel; when contrariwise this vegetable creature was in another sense a piece of wood, namely, in the form of a cross, (signifying the opposition which in this world is made between good and evill) an instrument of Christ's death, without the which, there was no assurance of salvation.

We see therefore, that all occult operations proceed from the hidden vertue in naturall things, which were discovered by Gods Spirit, as well unto mankind, as conceived by the sharp-witted observation of Satan. Unto good men, I say, they were detected by the good Spirit, to do good, and prevent evill; for except the evill be known, a counter-poyson will hardly be found out: Unto bad men, they were administred to execute mischief and iniquity. I will reckon up some of these secret vertues, in each of the three kingdoms of compound creatures, namely, Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral.

First therefore for the Animal. The Owl is said by Albertus Magnus, to have many notable vertues; For, saith he, if his heart and right foot be put upon one that sleepeth, he will forthwith tell what he hath done, or any thing that you shall ask him; and he saith, that it hath been tryed by some of his brethren to be most true. And again, if one do but put it under the arm-pit, no dog will bark at him. Also the Goat's blood is reported by him, to turn glass into a soft and malleable temper, if the glass be sod in it and vinegar, that one may handle it like paste, so that if it be cast against the wall, it will not break. And if one maketh an oyntment of the same composition, and do annoint his face with it, things will appear horrible and terrible unto him. And if the said composition be put in the fire, and there be present one that hath the falling-sickness, and a Loadstone touch him, he will presently fall into a fit as dead, and if some cold water be given him to drink, he will recover. So (saith he) if a candle be annointed with the Camel's blood, all men in the room will seem to have Camel's heads. And thus he proceedeth in his History, with a description of admirable wonders, which are effected by the occult properties of beasts, vegetables, and stones. If Mr. Foster and his adherents shall say, that all these are lies, I reply, That it was a learned Philosopher, and famous Theologian that relateth them, who, no doubt, would, if he lived, tell him, That he should learn to understand the hours of elections, the stars that have dominions on the earth, and their times of exaltation or fortitude on the earth. And lastly, over what creatures in the three compound Kingdoms they have their proper influences. For my part, I know admirable secrets in man and beasts, for the which the Peripatetick Philosophy can yield no reason; as for example, That the Pike or Jack-fishe's guts dried, should mightily provoke urin; the sucking of blood from a Mole, whose nose is cut off for the same purpose, will cure the falling-sickness, and that after the taking of it, it maketh the party exceeding sick; as experience hath taught us, by the cure of a Lady in Kent, who was cured thereby: Also, that it being burnt unto powder, it should, by an occult nature, expell the cholick. That the heart and liver of the Frogs should be approved, for the falling-sickness. That a Snake's skin should accelerate and hasten a woman's delivery. That the menstrues in a woman should cause a Leprosie. That the Toad dried should stench blood, as also the Spider, being applyed unto the nostrills of him that bleedeth, as I have often tried.

As for other occult miracles in stones, mettles, herbs, and animals, the true schollars unto Solomon, I mean, Hermes, Plato, Albertus Magnus, Diascorides, and such like, are full; and doubtlesse they would not prove so sottish and indiscreet, to publish lies, and to write things of impossibility, averring them to be effected in their knowledge, and so by that means, lose that reputation, which they have gained in the world by their wisdom But as concerning the practise of our main businesse, which is, touching the sympatheticall and antipatheticall respect, that is between the different Mummy which is in mans body, and the ocular demonstration thereof, produced from the Loadstone, I purpose in this next Book to shew and prove more unto you, than any one hath done before me unto this present, as I may imagine.