A Treatise of Witchcraft Part 3

And when the Diuell durst in expresse tearmes tender a contract to our blessed Sauiour, tempting him in the wildernesse, shewing him the kingdomes of the world, and the glory thereof, offered them with this condition, _All these will I giue thee, if thou wilt fall downe and worship me_, _Mat. 4. 9_. How much more then will hee aduenture vpon man, weake, wicked, and easie to be seduced? And who[e] can doubt but that these bee the solemne and formall words of a bargaine, _Do vt des, do vt facias_, I giue this for to haue that giuen, I bestow this, to haue such, or such a thing done for me.

[Footnote e: _Brissonius de formulis, lib. 6. Solemnia pactorum sine obligatione verba sunt: spondes? spondeo. promittis? promitto dabis? dabo vt facias, faciam. Iustinia.n.u.s in inst.i.tutionibus, lib. 3. t.i.tulo 16._]

Now this couenant is of two sorts, secret or manifest; secret, when one indeuoureth or intendeth to do any thing by such meanes, which neither in nature, nor by inst.i.tution haue power to produce the purposed effects, or be conioyned as neccessary with other, which can bring the same to pa.s.se. Expresse, wherein consent is giuen either by writing, and words, or making such signes, whereby they renounce G.o.d, and deuote themselues slaues and va.s.sals vnto the Diuell, hee promising, that vpon such condition they shall doe wonders, know future euents, helpe and hurt at their pleasure, and others like vnto these.

An example whereof wee may obserue in[f] _Siluester_ the second, one of the holy Fathers of _Rome_, who did homage to the Diuell his Lord, and made fidelity to liue at his will and appoyntment, vpon condition to obtaine what he desired, by which meanes he got first the Bishop.r.i.c.ke of _Rhemes_, after of _Rauenna_, and at the last the Papacie of _Rome_.

Which Sea, though it will yeeld good plenty of such like presidents, and we may finde them in authenticall records of Histories, yet I content my selfe with this one.

[Footnote f: _Hic Monachus Floriacensis Caen.o.bij diabolo suadente, & enormiter instigante si eius ob*quijs & arti magica obligauit in tantum quod Diabolo fecit Homagium c.u.m pacto vt ei omnia ad nutum succederent, & c. Holcot. in cap. 17. lib. sapientiae lectione 190. Platina in illius vita. Vide & Balerum de Romanorum pontific.u.m actis in lib. 5. in Syluestro secundo, & Robertum Barnes. de vitis pontific.u.m Romanorum._]

[g]The formall tearmes of this couenant, as they bee set downe by some, are most dreadfull: and the seuerall poynts these.

[Footnote g: _G.o.delmannus de magia tacita & illicita, lib. 1. cap.

2. x.8.9.10 &c._]

To renounce G.o.d his Creator, and that promise made in Baptisme.

To deny Iesus Christ, and refuse the benefites of his obedience, yea to blaspheme his glorious and holy name.

To worship the Deuill, & repose all confidence and trust in him.

To execute his commaundements.

To vse things created of G.o.d for no end, but to the hurt and destruction of others.

And lastly, to giue himselfe soule and body to that deceitfull and infernall spirit, who on the other part appeareth to them in the shape of a man (which is most common) or some other creature, conferreth familiarly, and bindeth himselfe by many promises, that at all times called for, he will presently come, giue counsell, further their desires, answer any demaund, deliuer from prison, and out of all dangers, bestow riches, wealth, pleasure, and what not? and all without any labour and paines-taking, in a word to become seruiceable to their will, & accomplish all their requests. And this is that which the Prophet _Esay_ speaketh, _chap. 28. 15._ to make a couenant with death, and an agreement with h.e.l.l. The consent of the ancient Fathers, if there were any doubt, might be added to the further clearing of this conclusion. For [h]_Cyprian_ directly affirmeth, that all those who vse magicall Arts, make a couenant with the Diuell, yea he himselfe, while he practized the same (before his calling to the light and true knowledge of G.o.d) was bound vnto him by an especiall[i] writing, whereunto some subscribe with their owne bloud, which was a vse among diuers nations, and a most sure bond of constant friendship, and [k]inuiolable consociation. But herein these seduced wretches are deceiued: for these promises which he makes, are treacherous, and the obseruances whereunto he enioyneth and perswadeth them, as powerfull in producing such or such effects, meere deceipts, and haue no qualitie in them to that purpose, but respecteth his owne ends, which are one of these foure.

[Footnote h: _Siue illius sit, siue alterius esto liber. De duplici Martyrio. Aquinas 2. 2a. quest. 96. Ioh. Gerson in Trilogio astrologiae Theologisatae propositione 21. & de erroribus circa artem magicam, Dicto 2._]

[Footnote i: _Camerarius meditationum historiarum, lib. 1. cap. 6.

Bodinus exampla ponit D[e,]monomanias. lib. 2. & 4. Binfeldius de confessionibus maleficorum._]

[Footnote k: _Simile de Catilina refert Sal.u.s.tius. c.u.m ad ius iurandum populares scelerius sui adigeret, humani corporis sanguinem vina permixtum in pateris circ.u.mtulisse, inde c.u.m post execration[~e] omnes degustauissent, sicut in solemnibus sacris fieri consueuit aperuisse consili[~u] suum, atque eo dict.i.tant fecisse, quo inter se magis fidi forent._]

First, to the mouing of them to the breaking of G.o.ds law.

Secondly, to adore him with diuine worship and sacred rites.

Thirdly, to weaken their hope and faith in G.o.d.

Fourthly, to couer his owne fraud and treachery, that it may not be perceiued.

And when they finde this Impostor failing in the performance of his vowed promises, then he wanteth not his shifts: as that these defects are not to be imputed to him, or the weakenesse of the Art, but their owne negligence or ignorance, who haue not exactly obserued such directions, and in that manner they were deliuered: or mistooke his meaning, which is commonly deliuered in[l] ambiguous tearmes, such as will admit a double construction: and herein appeareth the lamentable and woefull blindnesse of man, who is contented to swallow vp, and excuse many of his lies by one truth fore-told; which hath casually come to pa.s.se, whereas in other matters they make light account of, yea ctemne infinit truths, if they shall finde by long search and diligent inquiry, but one falshood. Wherefore it behooueth vs to be carefull Centinels ouer our selues, for that our grand[m] aduersary, proud, enuious, and not standing in the truth, reposeth all his possibility of victory in lies, and out of this poysoned sinke, deuiseth all kinde of deceits, that so hee might depriue man of that happy and blessed estate which he lost by pride, and draw him into the society of his owne d.a.m.nation: therefore it is a needfull caueat giuen by one of the ancient Fathers: Our enemy is old against whom wee fight, sixe [n]thousand yeares fully compleat are pa.s.sed since he began to oppose himself against vs; but if wee obserue the commandements of G.o.d, and continue steadfast in faith, apprehending Iesus Christ, then shall we be able to withstand all his violent a.s.saults, and ouer-come him because Christ in whom we trust, is inuincible.

[Footnote l: As that to Pope _Siluester_ the second, his demand; who asked how long he should liue and enioy the _Popedome_?

answered, vntil hee should say ma.s.se in _Ierusalem_; and not long after, celebrating the same in a _Chappell_ of the Church dedicated to the holy Crosse in _Rome_, called _Ierusalem_, knew how he was ouer-reached, for there hee dyed. And an other paralell to this, may be that of a certaine Bishop, much addicted to these vanities, hauing many enemies, and fearing them, asked the Diuell whether he should fly or not: who answered, _Non, sta secure, venient inimici tui suauiter, & subdentur tibi._ But being surprized, and taken by his aduersaries, and his castle set on fire, expostulating with him that hee had deceiued him in his distresse, returned answere, that he said true, if his speech had been rightly vnderstood: for he aduised, _Non sta secure_ [id est _fugias_] _venient inimici tui suauiter, & subdentur_, [id est _ignem tibi_]. Such were the Oracles which he gaue, and whereof all histories do testifie. _Holcot_ vpon the booke of Wisedome, and the rest before mentioned with him.]

[Footnote m: _Leo de collectis Serm. 40. & natiuitate Domini, Serm. 7._]

[Footnote n: _In proemio, lib de exhortaions ad Martyrium Cypria.n.u.s._]

_The fifth Proposition._

The Diuell can a.s.sume to himself[a] a body, and frame a voyce to speake with, and further instruct and giue satisfaction to those who haue submitted themselues vnto him, and are bound to his seruice. For he lost not by his transgression and fall, his naturall[b] endowments, but they continued in him whole[c] and perfect, as in the good Angels, who abide in that obedience and holiness wherein they were created, from whence a reason confirmatiue may bee thus framed, Good Angels can take vnto themselues bodies, as _Genes. 18. 2._ _Iudg. 13. 3.6._ therefore the euill also. Thus the Diuell hath appeared to some in the forme of a [d]Man, cloathed in purple, & wearing a crowne vpon his head: to others in the likenesse of a [e]Childe: sometime he sheweth himselfe in the forme of foure-footed beastes, foules, creeping things, [f]roaring as a Lyon, skipping like a Goat, barking after the manner of a dogge, and the like. But[g] it is obserued by some, that he cannot take the shape of a Sheepe, or Doue, though of an Angell of light: _2. Cor. 11. 14_. And further, [h]most of the learned doe hold, that those bodies wherein they doe appeare, are fashioned of the[i] aire, (though it is not to be denied, but they can enter into other, as the Diuell did into the Serpent, deceiuing _Eue_, _Gen. 3. 1._) which if it continuing pure and in the owne nature,[k] hath neither colour nor figure, yet condensed receiueth both, as wee may behold in the clouds, which resemble sometime one, sometime another shape, and so in them is seene the representation of Armies fighting, of beasts and Birds, houses, Cities, and sundry other kinds of apparations.

[Footnote a: _Augustinus in Enchiridio, cap .59. & 60. & Lambertus Daneusin suis comentarijs: ad eundem._]

[Footnote b: _Binfeldius de confessionibus maleficorum. Aquinas, Summa part. 1. quest. 51, art. 3. & 4_]

[Footnote c: _In D[e,]monibus +angelikas doreas ou mepote alloi osthas phamen, alloi eisi holokleroi kai pamphaneis+, Dionisius Areopagita, de diuinis nominibus cap. 4. & si vacat licebit consulere in eundem Pachemerae Paraphrasin & maximi scholia.

Isidorus Hispalensis de summo bono. lib. 1. cap. 12._]

[Footnote d: _Sulpitius Seuerus in vita beati Martini. Multa exempl[e,] habet Bodinus in pr[e,]fatione ad D[e,]monomaniam._]

[Footnote e: _Hieronimus in vita Hilarianis._]

[Footnote f: _Psellus de d[e,]monum natura._]

[Footnote g: _Binfeldius de confessionibus maleficorum._]

[Footnote h: _Petrus Martyr in 28. caput. lib. 2. Samuelis.

Aquinas in Summa parte 1. quest 51. articul. 2. Hyperius locer[~u]

Theolog. lib._]

[Footnote i: _Hesiodus_ +ergon kai hemeron+ _lib. 1. D[e,]monas ait esse_ +aera essamenous+_. proclus interpretatur quia sunt corpora aerea._]

[Footnote k: _Iulius Scaliger de subtilitate ad Cardanum exercitatione 359. sectione 13._]

Histories of all can witnesse of the Diuels appearance in human[l]

shape: thus a _Pseudo-Moses_, or _Messias_ in _Crete_, perswaded the Iewes that it was he who brought their Fathers the Israelites out of Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea, and would conduct them also out of that land vpon the waters into _Iudea_. But many following his counsell, perished: the rest admonished by that destruction, turned back, accusing their folly; and when they made enquiry for this guide, to haue rewarded him according to his desert, was no where to be found, whereof they conceiued hee was a Diuell in Mans likenesse. And such an one [m]was that merry (but malicious) spirit, who walked for a long time in Saxony, and was very seruiceable, clothed in country apparrell, with a cappe on his head, delighted to conuerse and talke with the people, to demaund questions, and answer what he was asked, hurting none, except iniured before, and then declared himselfe a right diuell in reuenge.

[Footnote l: _Socrates Histori[e,] ecclesiast. lib. 7. cap. 38. & historia Tripar. lib. 12. cap. 9._]

[Footnote m: _Chronicon Hirsangiense._]

[n]The late Discoueries and Nauigations made into the west Indies, can furnish vs with abundant testimonies hereof, in which the mindes of the inhabitants are both terrified & their bodies ma.s.sacred by his visible sight, and cruell tortures; yet (which is the opinion of many learned) he cannot so perfectly represent the fashion of a mans body, but that there is some sensible deformity, by which hee bewrayeth himselfe; as his [o]feete like those of an Ox, a Horse, or some other beasts, clouen houed, his hands crooked, armed with clawes, or talants like a vulture: or some one misshapen part, wherein (though hee delight in the shape of man, as most fitting for company and conference) is demonstrated, the great and tender loue of G.o.d toward vs, who hath so branded this deceiuer, that hee may bee discerned euen of those who are but of meane capacity, and so consequently auoyded. And as in his body a.s.sumed, so in his speech there is a defect, for it is weake, small, whispering, imperfect.

[Footnote n: _Vide nauigation[~e] Monsieur de Monts, ad nouam Franciam, lib. 2. cap. 5._]

[Footnote o: _Binfeldius de confessionibus maleficorum. Alexander ab Alexandro dierum Genialium, lib. 1. cap. 19. Remigius de D[e,]monolatria, lib. 1. cap. 7. & apud Rhodingium antiquarum lectionum lib. 29. cap. 5. est exemplum dignum admiratione._]

And thus it is [p]reported of _Hermolaus Barbarus_, who inquiring of a spirite, the signification and meaning of a difficult [q]word in _Aristotle_, he hard a low hissing, and murmuring voyce giuing answere.

[Footnote p: _Remigius d[e,]monolatrias lib. 1. cap. 8 & simile commemorat de Appione Grammatico Plinius naturalis histor, lib.