The xxviii. Chapter.446.

The xxviii. Chapter.446.That popish priests leave nothing unconjured, a forme of exorcisme for incense.ALTHOUGH the papists have manie conjurations, so as neither water, nor fier, nor bread, nor wine, nor wax, nor tallowe, nor church, nor churchyard, nor altar, nor altar cloath, nor ashes, nor coles, nor belles, nor bell ropes, nor copes, nor vestments, nor oile, nor salt, nor candle, nor candlesticke, nor beds, nor bedstaves, &c; are without their forme of conjuration: yet I will for brevitie let all passe, and end here with incense, which they doo conjure in this sort ✠.*[* ? sort. ✠]I conjureA conjuration of frankincense set foorth in forme.thee most filthy and horrible spirit, and everie vision of our enimie, &c: that thou go and depart from out of this creature of frankincense, with all thy deceipt and wickednes, that this creature may be sanctified, and in the name of our Lord ✠ Jesus ✠ Christ ✠ that all they that taste, touch, or smell the same, may receive the virtue and assistance of the Holie-ghost; so as wheresoever this incense or frankincense shall remaine, that there thou in no wise be so bold as to approch or once presume or attempt to hurt: but what uncleane spirit so ever thou be, that thou with all thy craft and subtiltie avoid and depart, being conjured by the name of God the father almightie, &c. And that wheresoever the fume or smoke thereof shall come, everie kind and sort of divels may be driven awaie, and expelled; as they were at the increase†[†readincense,Tobit, viii. 2, 3.]of the liver of fish, which the archangellRaphaellmade, &c./The xxix. Chapter.447.323.The rules and lawes of popish Exorcists and other conjurors all one, with a confutation of their whole power, how S. Martine conjured the divellTHE papistsPapists and conjurors cousening compeers.you see, have their certeine generall rules and lawes, as to absteine from sinne, and to fast, as also otherwise to be cleane from all pollusions, &c: and even so likewise have the other conjurors. Some will saie that papists use divine service, and praiers; even so doo common conjurors (as you see) even in the same papisticall forme, no whit swarving from theirs in faith and doctrine, nor yet in ungodlie and unreasonable kinds of petitions. Me thinks it may be a sufficient argument, to overthrow the calling up and miraculous works of spirits, that it is written;1. Sam. 16, 7.1. Reg. 8,  39.Jere.  17, 10.Psal.  44, 21.Psal.  72, 18.God onelie knoweth and searcheth the harts, and onelie worketh great woonders. The which argument being prosecuted to the end, can never be answered: insomuch as that divine power is required in that action.And if it be said, that in this conjuration we speake to the spirits, and they heare us, & therefore need not know our thoughts and imaginations: I first aske them whether kingBaell, orAmoimon, which are spirits reigning in the furthest regions of the east (as they saie) may heare a conjurors voice, which calleth for them, being in the extreamest parts of the west, there being such noises interposed, where perhaps also they may be busie, and set to worke on the like affaires. Secondlie, whether those spirits be of the same power that God is, who is everiewhere, filling all places, and able to heare all men at one instant, &c. Thirdlie, whence commeth the force of such words as raise the dead, and command divels. If sound doo it, then may it be doone by a taber and a pipe, or any other instrument that hath no life. If the voice doo it, then may it be doone by any beasts or birds. If words, then a parret may doo it. If in mans words onlie, where is the/448.force, in the first, second, or third syllable? If in syllables, then not in words. If in imaginations, then the divell knoweth our thoughts. But all this stuffe is vaine and fabulous.It is written;Sap. 1. 14.Ecclesi. 9.Gen. 1.All the generations of the earth were healthfull, and there is no poison of destruction in them. Why then doo they conjure holsome creatures; as salt, water, &c: where no divels are? God looked upon all his works, and sawe they were all good.Act. 19.What effect (I praie you) had the 7. sonnes ofSceva; which is the greatobjection of witchmongers? They would needs take upon them to conjure divels out of the possessed. But what brought they to passe? Yet that was in the time, whilest God suffered miracles commonlie to be wrought. By that you may see what conjurors can doo.Where is such a promise to conjurors or witches, as is made in the Gospell to the faithfull?Mark 16. 17.where it is written; In my name they shall cast/324.out divels, speake with new toongs: if they shall drinke any deadlie thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall take awaie serpents, they shall laie hands on the sicke, and they shall recover. According to the promise, this grant of miraculous working was performed in the primitive church, for the confirmation of Christs doctrine, and the establishing of the Gospell.But as in another place I have prooved, the gift thereof was but for a time, and is now ceased; neither was it ever made to papist, witch, or conjuror. They take upon them to call up and cast out divels; and to undoo with one divell, that which another divell hath doone. If one divell could cast out another, it were a kingdome divided, and could not stand. Which argument Christ himselfe maketh: and therfore I maie the more boldlie saie even with Christ, that they have no such power. ForabesidesaIsai. 43. 11.him, there is no saviour,bnonebverse. 13.cap. 44.verse. 7.verse. 25.can deliver out of his hand. Who but hee can declare, set in order, appoint, and tell what is to come? He destroieth the tokens of soothsaiers, and maketh the conjecturers fooles, &c. He declareth things to come, and so cannot witches.Isai. 46. 10. cap. 47. vers. 12. 13, &c.Luke. 11. 20.Matt. 12. 28.Acts, 8.  19.There is no helpe in inchanters and soothsaiers, and other such vaine sciences. For divels are cast out by the finger of God, whichMatthewcalleth the spirit of God, which is the mightie power of God, and not by the vertue of the bare name onelie, being spoken or pronounced: for then might everie wicked man/449.doo it. AndSimon Magusneeded not then to have proffered monie to have bought the power to doo miracles and woonders: for he could speake and pronounce the name of God, as well as the apostles. Indeed they maie soone throwe out all the divels that are in frankincense, and such like creatures, wherein no divels are: but neither they, nor all their holie water can indeed cure a man possessed with a divell, either in bodie or mind; as Christ did. Naie, why doo they not cast out the divell that possesseth their owne soules?Let me heare anie of them all speake with new toongs, let them drinke but one dramme of a potion which I will prepare for them, let them cure the sicke by laieng on of hands (though witches take it upon them, and witchmongers beleeve it) and then I will subscribe unto them. But if they, which repose such certeintie in the actions of witches and conjurors, would diligentlie note their deceipt, andhow the scope whereat they shoote is monieMonie is the marke whereat al witches & conjurors doo aime.(I meane not such witches as are falselie accused, but such as take upon them to give answers, &c: as motherBungiedid) they should apparentlie see the cousenage. For they are abused, as are manie beholders of jugglers, which suppose they doo miraculouslie, that which is doone by slight and subtiltie.But in this matter of witchcrafts and conjurations, if men would rather trust their owne eies, than old wives tales and lies, I dare undertake this matter would soone be at a perfect point; as being easier to be perceived than juggling. But I must needs confesse, that it is no great marvell, though the simple be abused therein, when such lies concerning those matters are mainteined by such persons of account, and thrust into their divine service. As for example:/325.It is written that S.Martinethrust his fingers into ones mouth that had a divell within him, and used to bite folke; and then did bid him devoure them if he could. And bicause the divell could not get out at his mouth, being stopt with S.MartinsS. Martins cōjuration:In die sancti Martini. lect. 1.fingers, he was faine to run out at his fundament. O stinking lie!/The xxx. Chapter.450.That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other conjurors dooings, their owne being of so litle force, Hipocrates his opinion herein.AND still me thinks papists (of all others) which indeed are most credulous, and doo most mainteine the force of witches charmes, and of conjurors cousenages, should perceive and judge conjurors dooings to be void of effect. For when they see their owne stuffe, as holie water, salt, candles, &c: conjured by their holie bishop and preests; & that in the words of consecration or conjuration (for so** To wit,Vincent. dominica in albis: in octa. pasch. sermone. 15.Durand. de exorcist.their owne doctors terme them) they adjure the water, &c: to heale, not onelie the soules infirmitie, but also everie maladie, hurt, or ach of the bodie; and doo also command the candles, with the force of all their authoritie and power, and by the effect of all their holie words, not to consume: and yet neither soule nor bodie anie thing recover, nor the candles last one minute the longer: with what face can they defend the others miraculous workes; as though the witches and conjurors actions were more effectuall than their owne?Hippocratesbeing but a heathen, and not having the perfect knowledge of God, could see and perceivetheir cousenage and knaverie well enough, who saith; They which boast so, that they can remoove or helpe the infections of diseases, with sacrifices, conjurations, or other magicall instruments or meanes, are but needie fellowes, wanting living; and therefore referre their words to the divell: bicause they would seeme to know somewhat more than the common people. It is marvell that papists doo affirme, that their holie water, crosses, or bugges words have such vertue and violence, as to drive awaie divels: so as they dare not approch to anie place or person besmeered with such stuffe; when as it appeareth in the gospell, that the divell presumed to assault and tempt Christ himselfe. For the divell indeed most ernestlie busieth him/selfe451.to seduce the godlie: as for the wicked, he maketh reckoning and just accompt of them, as of his owne alreadie. But let us go forward in our refutation./The xxxi. Chapter.326.How conjurors have beguiled witches, what bookes they carie about to procure credit to their art, wicked assertions against Moses and Joseph.THUS you see that conjurors are no small fooles. For whereas witches being poore and needie, go from doore to doore for releefe, have they never so manie todes or cats at home, or never so much hogs doong and charvill*[* See p.117.]about them, or never so manie charmes in store: these conjurors (I saie) have gotten them offices in the church ofRome, wherby they haveA fowle offense to backbite yeabsent, & to beelie the dead.obteined authoritie & great estimation. And further, to adde credit to that art, these conjurors carrie about at this daie, bookes intituled under the names ofAdam,Abel,Tobie, &Enoch; whichEnochthey repute the most divine fellow in such matters. They have also among them bookes that they saieAbraham,AaronandSalomonmade. Item they have bookes ofZacharie,Paule,Honorius,Cyprian,Jerome,Jeremie,Albert, andThomas: also of the angels,Riziel,Razael, andRaphael; and these doubtlesse were such bookes as were said to have beene burnt in the lesserAsia.Acts. 19.And for their further credit they boast, that they must be and are skilfull and learned in these arts; to wit,Ars Almadell,ars Notoria,ars Bulaphiæ,ars Arthephii,ars Pomenar,†[† ?Pomonæ]ars Revelationis,&c.Yea, these conjurors in corners sticke not (withJustine)Just. lib. 16.to report and affirme, thatJoseph, who was a true figure of Christ that delivered and redeemed us, waslearned in these arts, and thereby prophesied and expounded dreames: and that those arts came from him toMoses, and finallie fromMosesto them: which thing bothPliniePlin. lib. 30. cap. 2.Strab. lib. 16.andTacitusaffirme ofMoses. AlsoStraboin his cosmographie maketh the verie like blasphemous report. And likewiseApollonius,/452.Molon,Possidonius,Lisimachus, andAppiantermeMosesboth a magician and a conjuror: whomEusebiusconfuteth with manie notable arguments. ForMosesdiffered as much from a magician, as truth from falshood, and pietie from vanitie: for in truth, he confounded all magicke, and made the world see, and the cunningest magicians of the earth confesse, that their owne dooings were but illusions, and that his miracles were wrought by the finger of God. But that the poore old witches knowledge reacheth thus farre (asDanæusDan. in dialog. de sortiariis.affirmeth it dooth) is untrue: for their furthest fetches that I can comprehend, are but to fetch a pot of milke, &c: from their neighbors house, halfe a mile distant from them./The xxxii. Chapter.327.All magicall arts confuted by an argument concerning Nero, what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have left written thereof, and prooved by experience.SURELIENeroprooved all these magicall arts to be vaine and fabulous lies, and nothing but cousenage and knaverie. He was a notable prince, having gifts of nature enow to have conceived such matters, treasure enough to have emploied in the search thereof, he made no conscience therein, he had singular conferences thereabout; he offered, and would have given halfe his kingdome to have learned those things, which he heard might be wrought by magicians; he procured all the cunning magicians in the world to come toRome, he searched for bookes also, and all other things necessarie for a magician;Tiridates the great magician biddeth the emperor Nero to a banket, &c.and never could find anie thing in it, but cousenage and legierdemaine. At length he met with oneTiridates, the great magician, who having with him all his companions, and fellowe magicians, witches, conjurors, and couseners, invitedNero453.to certeine magicall bankets and exercises. Which whenNerorequired to learne,/ he (to hide his cousenage) answered that he would not, nor could not teach him, though he would have given him his kingdome. The matter of his refusall (I saie) was, leastNeroshould espie the cousening devises thereof. Which whenNeroconceived, and sawe the same, and allthe residue of that art to be vaine, lieng andNero made lawes against conjurors and conjurations.ridiculous, having onelie shadowes of truth, and that their arts were onelie veneficall; he prohibited the same utterlie, and made good and strong lawes against the use and the practisers thereof: asPlinieand others doo report. It is marvell that anie man can be so much abused, as to suppose that sathan may be commanded, compelled, or tied by the power of man: as though the divell would yeeld to man, beyond nature; that will not yeeld to God his creator, according to the rules of nature. And in so much as there be (as they confesse) good angels as well as bad; I would know whie they call up the angels of hell, and not call downe the angels of heaven. But this they answer (asAgrippaC. Agrip. lib. de vanitat. scient.saith.) Good angels (forsooth) doo hardlie appeare, and the other are readie at hand. Here I may not omit to tell you howCor. Agrippabewraieth, detecteth, and defaceth this art of conjuration, who in his youth travelled into the bottome of all these magicall sciences, and was not onelie a great conjuror and practiser thereof, but also wrote cunninglieDe occulta philosophia. Howbeit, afterwards in his wiser age, he recanteth his opinions, and lamenteth his follies in that behalfe, and discovereth the impietie and vanities of magicians, and inchanters, which boast they can doo miracles: which action is now ceased (saith he) and assigneth them a place withJannesandJambres, affirming that this art teacheth nothing but vaine toies for a shew.Carolus Gallusalso saith; I have tried oftentimes, by the witches and conjurors themselves, that their arts (especiallie those which doo consist of charmes, impossibilities,/328.conjurations, and witchcrafts, whereof they were woont to boast) to be meere foolishnes, doting lies, and dreames. I for my part can saie as much, but that I delight not to alledge mine owne proofes and authorities; for that mine adversaries will saie they are parciall, and not indifferent./The xxxiii. Chapter.454.Of Salomons conjurations, and of the opinion conceived of his cunning and practise therein.IT is affirmed by sundrie authors, thatSalomonwas the first inventor of those conjurations; and thereofJosephusis the first reporter, who in his fift bookeDe Judæorum antiquitatibus, cap. 22. rehearseth soberlie this storie following; whichPolydore Virgil, and manie other repeat verbatim, in this wise, and seeme to credit the fable, whereof there is skant a true word.Salomonwas the greatest philosopher, and did philosophie about all things, and had the full and perfect knowlege of all their proprieties: but he had that gift given from above to him, for the profit and health of mankind: which is effectuall against divels. He made also inchantments, wherewith diseases are driven awaie; and left diverse maners of conjurations written, whereunto the divels giving place are so driven awaie, that they never returne. And this kind of healing is very common among my countrimen: for I sawe a neighbour of mine, oneEleazer, that in the presence ofVespasianProbatum estupon a patient before witnes:Ergono lie.and his sonnes, and the rest of the souldiers, cured many that were possessed with spirits. The maner and order of his cure was this. He did put unto the nose of the possessed a ring, under the seale wherof was inclosed a kind of roote, whose vertureSalomondeclared, and the savour thereof drewe the divell out at his nose; so as downe fell the man, and thenEleazerconjured the divell to depart, & to return no more to him. In the meane time he made mention ofSalomon, reciting incantations ofSalomonsowne making. And thenEleazerbeing willing to shew the standers by his cunning, and the wonderfull efficacie of his art, did set not farre from thence, a pot or basen full of water, & commanded the divell that went out of the man, that by the overthrowing thereof, he would give a signe to the beholders, that he had utterlie forsaken and leaft the man./455.Which thing being doone, none there doubted how greatSalomonsknowledge and wisedome was. Wherin a jugling knacke was produced, to confirme a cogging cast of knaverie or cousenage.Another storie ofSalomonsconjuration I find cited in the sixt lesson, read in the church ofRomeupon S.Margaretsdaie, far more ridiculous than this. AlsoPeter Lombardmaister of the sentences, andGratianLib. 4 dist. 14.Decret. aureum. dist. 21Rub. de exorcist.his brother, the compiler of the golden decrees; andDurandusin hisRationale divinorum, doo all soberlie affirmeSalomonscunning in this behalfe; and speciallie this tale; to wit, thatSalomoninclosed certeine thousand di/vels329.in a brasen bowle, and left it in a deepe hole or lake, so as afterwards theBabyloniansfound it, and supposing there had beene gold or silver therein, brake it, and out flew all the divels, &c. And that this fable is of credit, you shall perceive, in that it is thought woorthie to be read in the Romish church as parcell of their divine service. Looke in the lessons of S.MargaretsLect. 5. & 6.daie the virgine, and you shall find these words verbatim: which I the rather recite, bicause it serveth me for divers turnes; to wit, forSalomonsconjurations, for the tale of the brasen vessell, and for the popes conjurations, which extended both to faith and doctrine, and to shew of what credit their religion is, that so shamefullie is stained with lies and fables.The xxxiiii. Chapter.Lessons read in all churches, where the pope hath authoritie, on S. Margarets daie, translated into English word for word.HOLIEMargaretrequired of GOD, that she might have a conflict face to face with hir secret enimie the divell; and rising from praier,Lect. in die sanctissimæ Marg. vir. 5.she sawe a terrible dragon, that would have devoured hir, but she made the signe of the crosse, and the dragon burst in the middest.Lect. 6.Afterwards, she sawe another man/456.sitting like a Niger, having his hands bound fast to his knees, she taking him by the haire of the head, threw him to the ground, and set hir foote on his head; and hir praiers being made, a light shined from heaven into the prison where she was, and the crosse of Christ was seene in heaven, with a doove sitting thereon, who said; Blessed art thou OMargaret, the gates of paradise attend thy comming. Then she giving thanks to God, said to the divell, Declare to me thy name. The divell said; Take awaie thy foote from my head, that I may be able to speake, and tell thee: which being done, the divell said, I amVeltis,Looke in the word Iidoni, pag. 383.one of them whomeSalomonshut in the brasen vessell, and theBabylonianscomming, and supposing there had beene gold therein, brake the vessell, and then we flew out: ever since lieng in wait to annoie the just. But seeing I have recited a part of hir storie, you shall also have the end therof: for at the time of hir execution this was hir praier following.Grant therefore O father, that whosoever writeth, readeth, or heareth my passion, or maketh memoriall of me, may deserve pardon for all his sinnes: whosoever calleth on me, being at the point of death, deliver him out of the hands of his adversaries. And I also require, O Lord, that whosoever shall build a church in the honor of me, or ministreth unto me anie candles** For the preests profit, I warrant you.of his just labour, let him obteine whatsoever he asketh for his health. Deliver all women in travell that call upon me, from the danger thereof.This is cōmon (they saie) when a witch or conjuror dieth.Hir praier ended, there were manie great thunderclaps, and a doove came downe from heaven, saieng; Blessed art thou OMargaretthe spouse of Christ. Such things as thou hast asked, are granted unto thee; there/fore330.come thou into everlasting rest, &c. Then the hangman (though she did bid him) refused to cut off hir head: to whome she said; Except thou doo it, thou canst have no part with me, and then lo he did it, &c. But sithens I have beene, and must be tedious, Ithought good to refresh my reader with a lamentable storie, depending upon the matter precedent, reported by manie grave authors, word for word, in maner and forme following./The xxxv. Chapter.457.A delicate storie of a Lombard, who by S. Margarets example would needs fight with a reall divell.THERE was (after a sermon made, wherein this storie of S.Margaretwas recited, for in such stuffe consisted not onelie their service, but also their sermons in the blind time of poperie:) there was (I saie) a certeine yoong man, being aLombard, whose simplicitie was such, as he had no respect unto the commoditie of worldlie things, but did altogither affect the salvation of his soule, who hearing how great S.MargaretsKakozelia.triumph was, began to consider with himselfe, how full of slights the divell was. And among other things thus he said; Oh that God would suffer, that the divell might fight with me hand to hand in visible forme! I would then surelie in like maner overthrow him, and would fight with him till I had the victorie. And therefore about the twelfe houre he went out of the towne, and finding a convenient place where to praie, secretlie kneeling on his knees, he praied among other things, that God would suffer the divell to appeare unto him in visible forme, that according to the example of S.Margaret, he might overcome him in battell. And as he was in the middest of his praiers, there came into that place a woman with a hooke in hir hand, to gather certeine hearbs which grew there, who was dumme borne.Mutuall error by meanes of sudden sight.And when she came into the place, and saw the yoong man among the hearbs on his knees, she was afraid, and waxed pale, and going backe, she rored in such sort, as hir voice could not be understood, and with hir head and fists made threatning signes unto him. The yoong man seeing such an ilfavoured fowle queane, that was for age decrepit and full of wrinkles, with a long bodie, leane of face, pale of colour, with ragged cloathes, crieng verie lowd, and having a voice not understandable, threatning him with the hooke which she carried in hir hand, he thought surelie she had beene no woman, but a divell appea/ring458.unto him in the shape of a woman, and thought God had heard his praiers. For the which causes he fell upon hir lustilie, and at length threw hir downe to the ground, saieng; Art thou come thou curssed divell, art thou come? No no, thou shalt not overthrow me in visible fight, whome thou hast often overcome in invisible temptation.And as he spake these words, he caught hir by the haire, and drew hir about, beating hir sometimes with his hands, sometimes with his heeles, and sometimes with the hooke so long, and wounded hir so sore, that he/331.left hir a dieng. At the noise whereof manie people came running unto them, and seeing what was doone, they apprehended the yoong man, and thrust him into a vile prison. S.VincentS. Vincent raiseth the dead woman to life.by vertue of his holines understanding all this matter, caused the bodie that seemed dead to be brought unto him, and thereupon (according to his maner) he laid his hand upon hir, who immediatlie revived, and he called one of his chaplines to heare hir confession. But they that were present said to the man of God, that it were altogether in vaine so to doo, for that she had beene from hir nativitie dumbe, and could neither heare nor understand the priest, neither could in words confesse hir sinnes. Notwithstanding, S.VincentS. Vincent maketh the dumbe to speake.bad the priest heare hir confession, affirming that she should verie distinctlie speake all things unto him. And therfore, whatsoever the man of God commanded, the priest did confidentlie accomplish and obeie: and as soone as the priest approched unto hir, to heare hir confession, she, whome allCathaloniaknew to be dumbe borne, spake, and confessed hir selfe, pronouncing everie word as distinctlie, as though she had never beene dumbe. After hir confession she required the eucharist and extreame unction to be ministred unto hir, and at length she commended hir selfe to God; and in the presence of all that came to see that miracle, she spake as long as she had anie breath in hir bodie. The yoong man that killed hir being saved from the gallowes by S.Vincentsmeanes, and at his intercession, departed home intoItalie.Dist. 8. exempl. 17. serm. 59. cap. 20.This storie last rehearsed is found inSpeculo exemplorum, and repeated also byRobert Carocul: bishop ofAquinas, and manie others, and preached publikelie in the church ofRome./The xxxvi. Chapter.459.The storie of Saint Margaret prooved to be both ridiculous and impious in everie point.FIRST, that the storie ofS. Margaretis a fable, may be prooved by the incredible, impossible, foolish, impious, and blasphemous matters conteined therein, and by the ridiculous circumstance thereof. Though it were cruellie doone of hir to beat the divell, when his hands were bound; yet it was courteouslie doone of hir, to pull awaie hir foot at his desire. Hecould not speake so long as she troad on his head, and yet he said; Tread off, that I may tell you what I am. She sawe the heavens open, and yet she was in a close prison. But hir sight was verie cleare, that could see a little dove sitting upon a crosse so farre off. For heaven is higher than the sunne; and the sunne, when it is neerest to us, is 3966000. miles from us.Secundùm Bordinum Corrigens. Quæsit. Math. tract. 1. sect. 77.And she had a good paire of eares, that could heare a dove speake so farre off. And she had good lucke, that S.Peter, who (they saie) is porter, or else the pope, who hath more dooings thanPeter, had such leisure as to staie the gates so long/332.for hir.Salomonprovided no good place, neither tooke good order with his brasen bowle. I marvell how they escaped that let out the divels. It is marvell also they melted it not with their breath long before: for the divels carrie hell and hell fier about with them alwaies; in so much as (they saie) they leave ashes evermore where they stand.Psellus de operatione dæmonum.Surelie she made in hir praier an unreasonable request. But the date of hir patent is out: for I beleeve that whosoever at this daie shall burne a pound of good candle before hir, shall be never the better, but three pence the worsse. But now we may find in S.Margaretslife, who it is that is Christes wife: whereby we are so much wiser than we were before. But looke in the life ofS. Katharine, in the golden legend, and you shall find that he was also married toS. Katharine, and that our ladie made the marriage, &c. An excellent authoritie for/460.bigamie. Here I will also cite other of their notable stories, or miracles of authoritie, and so leave shaming of them, or rather troubling you the readers thereof. Neither would I have written these fables, but that they are authentike among the papists, and that we that are protestants may be satisfied, as well of conjurors and witches miracles, as of the others: for the one is as grosse as the other.The xxxvii. Chapter.A pleasant miracle wrought by a popish preest.WHAT time theWaldensesIn speculo exemplorum, dist. 6. ex lib. exemplorum, Cæsariis, exempl. 69.heresies beganne to spring, certeine wicked men, being upheld and mainteined by diabolicall vertue, shewed certeine signes and woonders, wherby they strengthened and confirmed their heresies, and perverted in faith many faithfull men; for they walked on the water and were not drowned. But a certeine catholike preest seeing the same, and knowing that true signes could not be joined with false doctrine, brought the bodie of our Lord, with the pix, tothe water,Memorandum, it is confessed in poperie that true miracles cannot be joined with false doctrine:Ergoneither papist, witch, nor conjuror can worke miracles.where they shewed their power and vertue to the people, and said in the hearing of all that were present: I conjure thee O divell, by him, whom I carrie in my hands, that thou exercise not these great visions and phantasies by these men, to the drowning of this people. Notwithstanding these words, when they walked still on the water, as they did before, the preest in a rage threw the bodie of our Lord, with the pix into the river, and by and by, so soone as the sacrament touched the element, the phantasie gave place to the veritie; and they being prooved and made false, did sinke like lead to the bottome, and were drowned; the pix with the sacrament immediatlie was taken awaie by an angell. The preest seeing all these things, was verie glad of the miracle, but for the losse of the sacrament he was verie pensive, passing awaie the whole night in teares and moorning: in the morning he found the pix with the sacrament upon the altar.//The xxxviii. Chapter.461.333.The former miracle confuted, with a strange storie of saint Lucie.HOW glad Sir John was now it were follie for me to saie. How would he have plagued the divell, that threw his god in the river to be drowned? But if other had had no more power to destroie theWaldenseswith sword and fier, than this preest had to drowne them with his conjuring boxe & cousening sacraments, there should have beene many a life saved. But I may not omit one fable, which is of authoritie, wherein though there be no conjuration expressed, yet I warrant you there was cousenage both in the dooing and telling thereof. ☞ You shall read in the lesson on saintLuciesdaie, that she being condemned, could not be remooved from the place with a teeme of oxen,Lect. in die sanctæ Luciæ 7 & 8.neither could any fier burne hir, insomuch as one was faine to cut off hir head with a sword, and yet she could speake afterwards as long as she list. And this passeth all other miracles, except it be that whichBodinandM. Mal. recite out ofNider, of a witch that could not be burned, till a scroll was taken awaie from where she hid it, betwixt hir skin and flesh.The xxxix. Chapter.Of visions, noises, apparitions, and imagined sounds, and of other illusions, of wandering soules: with a confutation thereof.MANIE thorough melancholie doo imagine, that they see or heare visions, spirits, ghosts, strange noises, &c:See the storie of Simō Davie and Ade his wife, lib. 3. cap. 10. pag. 55, 56, 57.as I have alreadie prooved before, at large. Manie againe thorough feare proceeding from a cowardlie nature and complexion, or from an effeminate and fond bringing up, are timerous and afraid of/462.spirits, and bugs, &c. Some through imperfection of sight also are afraid of their owne shadowes, and (asAristotlesaith) see themselves sometimes as it were in a glasse. And some through weakenesse of bodie have such unperfect imaginations. Droonken men also sometimes suppose they see trees walke, &c: according to that whichSalomonsaith to the droonkards; Thine eies shall see strange visions, and mervellous appearances.Against the counterfet visions of popish preests, & other cousening devises.In all ages moonks and preests have abused and bewitched the world with counterfet visions; which proceeded through idlenes, and restraint of marriage, wherby they grew hot and lecherous, and therefore devised such meanes to compasse and obteine their loves. And the simple people being then so superstitious, would never seeme to mistrust, that such holie men would make them cuckholds, but forsooke their beds in that case, and gave roome to the cleargie. Item, little children have beene so scared with their mothers maids, that they could never after endure to be in the darke alone, for feare of bugs. Manie are deceived by glasses through/334.art perspective. Manie hearkening unto false reports, conceive and beleeve that which is nothing so. Manie give credit to that which they read in authors. But how manie stories and bookes are written of walking spirits and soules of men, contrarie to the word of God; a reasonable volume cannot conteine. How common an opinion was it among the papists, that all soules walked on the earth, after they departed from their bodies? In so much as it was in the time of poperie a usuall matter, to desire sicke people in their death beds, to appeare to them after their death, and to reveale their estate. The fathers and ancient doctors of the church were too credulous herein, &c. Therefore no mervell, though the common simple sort of men, and least of all, that women be deceived herein. God in times past did send downe visible angels and appearances to men; but now he dooth not so. Through ignorance of late in religion, it was thought, that everiechurchyard swarmed with soules and spirits: but now the word of God being more free, open, and knowne, those conceipts and illusions are made more manifest and apparent, &c.The doctors, councels, and popes, which (they saie) cannot erre, have confirmed the walking, appearing, & raising of soules./463.But where find they in the scriptures anie such doctrine? And who certified them, that those appearances were true? Trulie all they cannot bring to passe, that the lies which have beene spread abroad herein, should now beginne to be true, though the pope himselfe subscribe, seale, and sweare thereunto never so much. Where are the soules that swarmed in times past? Where are the spirits? Who heareth their noises? Who seeth their visions? Where are the soules that made such mone for trentals, whereby to be eased of the paines in purgatorie? Are they all gone intoItalie, bicause masses are growne deere here inEngland? Marke well this illusion, and see how contrarie it is unto the word of God. Consider how all papists beleeve this illusion to be true, and how all protestants are driven to saie it is and was popish illusion.This doctrine was not onlie preached, but also prooved; note the particular instāces following.Where be the spirits that wandered to have buriall for their bodies? For manie of those walking soules went about that busines. Doo you not thinke, that the papists shew not themselves godlie divines, to preach and teach the people such doctrine; and to insert into their divine service such fables as are read in the Romish church, all scripture giving place thereto for the time? You shall see in the lessons read there upon S.Stevensdaie, thatGamaliel Nichodemushis kinsman, andAbdiashis sonne, with his freend S.Steven, appeared to a certeine preest, called SirLucian, requesting him to remove their bodies, and to burie them in some better place (for they had lien from the time of their death, untill then, being in the reigne ofHonoriusthe emperor; to wit, foure hundred yeeres buried in the field ofGamaliel, who in that respect said to SirLucian;Non mei solummodo causa solicitus sum, sed potiùs pro illis qui mecum sunt; that is, I am not onlie carefull for my selfe, but cheefelie for those my friends that are with me. Whereby the whole course may be perceived to be a false practise, and a counterfet vision, or rather a lewd invention. For in heaven mens soules remaine not in sorow and care; neither studie they there how to compasse/335.and get a worshipfull buriall here in earth. If they did, they would not have foreslowed it so long. Now therefore let us not suffer our selves to be abused anie longer, either with conjuring preests, or melancholicall witches; but be thankfull to God that hath delivered us from such blindnes and error./The xl. Chapter.464.Cardanus opinion of strange noises, how counterfet visions grow to be credited, of popish appeerances, of pope Boniface.CARDANUSH. Card. lib. de var. rer. 15. ca. 92.speaking of noises, among other things, saith thus; A noise is heard in your house; it may be a mouse, a cat, or a dog among dishes; it may be a counterfet or a theefe indeed, or the fault may be in your eares. I could recite a great number of tales, how men have even forsaken their houses, bicause of such apparitions and noises: and all hath beene by meere and ranke knaverie. And wheresoever you shall heare, that there is in the night season such rumbling and fearefull noises, be you well assured that it is flat knaverie, performed by some that seemeth most to complaine, and is least mistrusted. And hereof there is a verie art, which for some respects I will not discover. The divell seeketh dailie as well as nightlie whome he may devoure, and can doo his feats as well by daie as by night, or else he is a yoong divell, and a verie bungler. But of all other couseners, these conjurors are in the highest degree, and are most worthie of death for their blasphemous impietie. But that these popish visions and conjurations used as well by papists, as by the popes themselves, were meere cousenages; and that the tales of the popes recited byBrunoandPlatina, of their magicall devises, were but plaine cousenages and knaveries, may appeare by the historie ofBonifaciusthe eight, who used this kind of inchantment, to get away the popedome from his predecessorCœlestinus. He counterfetted a voice through a cane reed, as though it had come from heaven, persuading him to yeeld up his authoritie of popeship, and to institute therein oneBonifacius,PopeCœlestinuscousened of his popedome by popeBoniface.a worthier man: otherwise he threatened him with damnation. And therfore the foole yeelded it up accordinglie, to the saidBonifacius,An.1264. of whom it was said; He came in like a fox, lived like a woolfe, and died like a dog./465.There be innumerable examples of such visions, which when they are not detected, go for true stories: and therefore when it is answered that some are true tales and some are false, untill they be able to shew foorth before your eies one matter of truth, you may replie upon them with this distinction; to wit:Visions distinguishedvisions tried are false visions, undecided and untried are true./The xli. Chapter.336.Of the noise or sound of eccho, of one that narrowlie escaped drowning thereby, &c.ALAS! how manie naturall things are there so strange, as to manie seeme miraculous; and how manie counterfet matters are there, that to the simple seeme yet more wonderfull?CardaneH. Card. lib. de subtilitat. 18.telleth of oneComensis, who comming late to a rivers side, not knowing where to passe over, cried out alowd for some bodie to shew him the foord: who hearing an eccho to answer according to his last word, supposing it to be a man that answered him and informed him of the waie, he passed through the river, even there where was a deepe whirlepoole, so as he hardlie escaped with his life; and told his freends, that the divell had almost persuaded him to drowne himselfe. And in some places these noises of eccho are farre more strange than other, speciallie atTicinuminItalie,Idem, ibid.in the great hall, where it rendereth sundrie and manifold noises or voices, which seeme to end so lamentablie, as it were a man that laie a dieng; so as few can be persuaded that it is the eccho, but a spirit that answereth.The noise atWinchesterOf Winchester noise.was said to be a verie miracle, and much wondering was there at it, about the yeare 1569. though indeed a meere naturall noise ingendered of the wind, the concavitie of the place, and other instrumentall matters helping the sound to seeme strange to the hearers; speciallie to such as would adde new reports to the augmentation of the woonder./The xlii. Chapter.466.Of Theurgie, with a confutation thereof, a letter sent to me concerning these matters.THERE is yet another art professed by these cousening conjurors, which some fond divines affirme to be more honest and lawfull than necromancie, which is called Theurgie; wherein they worke by good angels. Howbeit, their ceremonies are altogether papisticall and superstitious, consisting in cleanlines partlie of the mind, partlie of the bodie, and partlie of things about and belonging to the bodie; as in the skinne, in the apparell, in the house, in the vessell and houshold stuffe, inoblations and sacrifices; the cleanlines whereof, they saie, dooth dispose men to the contemplation of heavenlie things. They cite these words ofEsaiefor their authoritie; to wit: Wash your selves and be cleane, &c. In so much as I have knowne diverse superstitious persons of good account, which usuallie washed all their apparell upon conceits ridiculouslie. For uncleanlinesse (they say) corrupteth the aire, infecteth man, and chaseth awaie cleane/337.spirits. Hereunto belongeth the art ofAlmadel,Appendents unto the supposed divine art of Theurgie.the art ofPaule, the art of Revelations, and the art Notarie. But (asAgrippasaith) the more divine these arts seeme to the ignorant, the more damnable they be. But their false assertions, their presumptions to worke miracles, their characters, their strange names, their diffuse phrases, their counterfet holines, their popish ceremonies, their foolish words mingled with impietie, their barbarous and unlearned order of construction, their shameles practises, their paltrie stuffe, their secret dealing, their beggerlie life, their bargaining with fooles, their cousening of the simple, their scope and drift for monie dooth bewraie all their art to be counterfet cousenage. And the more throughlie to satisfie you herein, I thought good in this place to insert a letter, upon occasion sent unto me, by one which at this present time lieth as a prisoner condemned for this verie matter in the kings bench, and reprived by hir majesties mer/cie,467.through the good mediation of a most noble and vertuous personage, whose honorable and godlie disposition at this time I will forbeare to commend as I ought. The person truelie that wrote this letter seemeth unto me a good bodie, well reformed, and penitent, not expecting anie gaines at my hands, but rather fearing to speake that which he knoweth further in this matter, least displeasure might ensue and follow.The copie of a letter sent unto me R. S. by T. E.Maister of art, and practiser both of physicke, and alsoin times past, of certeine vaine sciences; nowcondemned to die for the same: wherein heopeneth the truth touching these deceits.*[* Lines 1, 3, 5 Rom. 2, 4 Ital.]MAISTER R. SCOT,†[† This letter in Rom.]Marke the summe and scope of this letter.according to your request, I have drawne out certeine abuses worth the noting, touching the worke you have in hand; things which I my selfe have seene within these xxvi. yeares, among those which were counted famous and skilfull in those sciences. And bicause the wholediscourse cannot be set downe, without nominating certeine persons, of whom some are dead & some living, whose freends remaine yet of great credit: in respect therof, I knowing that mine enimies doo alreadie in number exceed my freends; I have considered with my selfe, that it is better for me to staie my hand, than to commit that to the world, which may increase my miserie more than releeve the same. Notwithstanding, bicause I am noted above a great manie others to have had some dealings in those vaine arts and wicked practises; I am therefore to signifie unto you, and I speake it in the presence of God, that among all those famous and noted practisers, that I have beene conversant withall these xxvi. yeares, I could never see anie matter of truth to be/468.doone in those wicked sciences, but onelie meere cousenings and illusions. And they, whome I thought to be most skilfull therein, sought to see some things at my hands, who had spent my time a dozen or fourteen years, to my great losse and hinderance, and could/338.never at anie time see anie one truth, or sparkle of truth therein. Yet at this present I stand worthilie condemned for the same; for that, contrarie to my princes lawes, and the lawe of God, and also to mine owne conscience, I did spend my time in such vaine and wicked studies and practises: being made and remaining a spectacle for all others to receive warning by. The Lord grant I may be the last (I speake it from my hart) and I wish it, not onlie in my native coūtrie, but also through the whole face of the earth, speciallie among Christians. For mine owne part I lament my time lost, & have repented me five yeares past: at which time I sawe a booke, written in the old Saxon toong, by one Sir John MalborneS. John Malbornes booke detecting the devises of conjuratiō, &c.a divine of Oxenford, three hundred yeares past; wherein he openeth all the illusions & inventions of those arts and sciences: a thing most worthie the noting. I left the booke with the parson of Slangham in Sussex, where if you send for it in my name, you may have it. You shall thinke your labour well bestowed, and it shall greatlie further the good enterprise you have in hand: and there shall you see the whole science throughlie discussed, and all their illusions and cousenages deciphered at large. Thus craving pardon at your hands for that I promised you, being verie fearefull, doubtfull, and loth to set my hand or name under any thing that may be offensive to the world, or hurtfull to my selfe, considering my case, except I had the better warrant from my L. of Leicester, who is my verie good Lord, and by whome next under God (hir Majestie onelie excepted) I have beene preserved; and therefore loth to doo any thing that may offend his Lordships eares./469.And so I leave your Worship to the Lords keeping, who bring you and all your actions to good end and purpose, to Gods glorie, and to the profit of all Christians. Fromthe bench this 8. of March, 1582. Your Worships poore and desolate friend and servant, T. E.I sent for this booke of purpose, to the parson ofSlangham, and procured his best friends, men of great worship and credit, to deale with him, that I might borrowe it for a time. But such is his follie and superstition, that although he confessed he had it; yet he would not lend it: albeit a friend of mine, being knight of the shire would have given his word for the restitution of the same safe and sound.The author his conclusion.The conclusion therefore shall be this, whatsoever heeretofore hath gone for currant, touching all these fallible arts, whereof hitherto I have written in ample sort, be now counted counterfet, and therefore not to be allowed no not by common sense, much lesse by reason, which should sift such cloked and pretended practises, turning them out of their rags and patched clowts, that they may appeere discovered, and shew themselves in their nakednesse. Which will be the end of everie secret intent, privie purpose, hidden practise, and close devise, have they never such shrowds and shelters for the time: and be they with never so much cautelousnesse and subtill circumspection clouded and shadowed, yet will they at length be manifestlie detected by the light, according to that old rimed verse:/

That popish priests leave nothing unconjured, a forme of exorcisme for incense.

ALTHOUGH the papists have manie conjurations, so as neither water, nor fier, nor bread, nor wine, nor wax, nor tallowe, nor church, nor churchyard, nor altar, nor altar cloath, nor ashes, nor coles, nor belles, nor bell ropes, nor copes, nor vestments, nor oile, nor salt, nor candle, nor candlesticke, nor beds, nor bedstaves, &c; are without their forme of conjuration: yet I will for brevitie let all passe, and end here with incense, which they doo conjure in this sort ✠.*[* ? sort. ✠]I conjureA conjuration of frankincense set foorth in forme.thee most filthy and horrible spirit, and everie vision of our enimie, &c: that thou go and depart from out of this creature of frankincense, with all thy deceipt and wickednes, that this creature may be sanctified, and in the name of our Lord ✠ Jesus ✠ Christ ✠ that all they that taste, touch, or smell the same, may receive the virtue and assistance of the Holie-ghost; so as wheresoever this incense or frankincense shall remaine, that there thou in no wise be so bold as to approch or once presume or attempt to hurt: but what uncleane spirit so ever thou be, that thou with all thy craft and subtiltie avoid and depart, being conjured by the name of God the father almightie, &c. And that wheresoever the fume or smoke thereof shall come, everie kind and sort of divels may be driven awaie, and expelled; as they were at the increase†[†readincense,Tobit, viii. 2, 3.]of the liver of fish, which the archangellRaphaellmade, &c./

The rules and lawes of popish Exorcists and other conjurors all one, with a confutation of their whole power, how S. Martine conjured the divell

THE papistsPapists and conjurors cousening compeers.you see, have their certeine generall rules and lawes, as to absteine from sinne, and to fast, as also otherwise to be cleane from all pollusions, &c: and even so likewise have the other conjurors. Some will saie that papists use divine service, and praiers; even so doo common conjurors (as you see) even in the same papisticall forme, no whit swarving from theirs in faith and doctrine, nor yet in ungodlie and unreasonable kinds of petitions. Me thinks it may be a sufficient argument, to overthrow the calling up and miraculous works of spirits, that it is written;1. Sam. 16, 7.1. Reg. 8,  39.Jere.  17, 10.Psal.  44, 21.Psal.  72, 18.God onelie knoweth and searcheth the harts, and onelie worketh great woonders. The which argument being prosecuted to the end, can never be answered: insomuch as that divine power is required in that action.

And if it be said, that in this conjuration we speake to the spirits, and they heare us, & therefore need not know our thoughts and imaginations: I first aske them whether kingBaell, orAmoimon, which are spirits reigning in the furthest regions of the east (as they saie) may heare a conjurors voice, which calleth for them, being in the extreamest parts of the west, there being such noises interposed, where perhaps also they may be busie, and set to worke on the like affaires. Secondlie, whether those spirits be of the same power that God is, who is everiewhere, filling all places, and able to heare all men at one instant, &c. Thirdlie, whence commeth the force of such words as raise the dead, and command divels. If sound doo it, then may it be doone by a taber and a pipe, or any other instrument that hath no life. If the voice doo it, then may it be doone by any beasts or birds. If words, then a parret may doo it. If in mans words onlie, where is the/448.force, in the first, second, or third syllable? If in syllables, then not in words. If in imaginations, then the divell knoweth our thoughts. But all this stuffe is vaine and fabulous.

It is written;Sap. 1. 14.Ecclesi. 9.Gen. 1.All the generations of the earth were healthfull, and there is no poison of destruction in them. Why then doo they conjure holsome creatures; as salt, water, &c: where no divels are? God looked upon all his works, and sawe they were all good.Act. 19.What effect (I praie you) had the 7. sonnes ofSceva; which is the greatobjection of witchmongers? They would needs take upon them to conjure divels out of the possessed. But what brought they to passe? Yet that was in the time, whilest God suffered miracles commonlie to be wrought. By that you may see what conjurors can doo.

Where is such a promise to conjurors or witches, as is made in the Gospell to the faithfull?Mark 16. 17.where it is written; In my name they shall cast/324.out divels, speake with new toongs: if they shall drinke any deadlie thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall take awaie serpents, they shall laie hands on the sicke, and they shall recover. According to the promise, this grant of miraculous working was performed in the primitive church, for the confirmation of Christs doctrine, and the establishing of the Gospell.

But as in another place I have prooved, the gift thereof was but for a time, and is now ceased; neither was it ever made to papist, witch, or conjuror. They take upon them to call up and cast out divels; and to undoo with one divell, that which another divell hath doone. If one divell could cast out another, it were a kingdome divided, and could not stand. Which argument Christ himselfe maketh: and therfore I maie the more boldlie saie even with Christ, that they have no such power. ForabesidesaIsai. 43. 11.him, there is no saviour,bnonebverse. 13.cap. 44.verse. 7.verse. 25.can deliver out of his hand. Who but hee can declare, set in order, appoint, and tell what is to come? He destroieth the tokens of soothsaiers, and maketh the conjecturers fooles, &c. He declareth things to come, and so cannot witches.

Isai. 46. 10. cap. 47. vers. 12. 13, &c.Luke. 11. 20.Matt. 12. 28.Acts, 8.  19.There is no helpe in inchanters and soothsaiers, and other such vaine sciences. For divels are cast out by the finger of God, whichMatthewcalleth the spirit of God, which is the mightie power of God, and not by the vertue of the bare name onelie, being spoken or pronounced: for then might everie wicked man/449.doo it. AndSimon Magusneeded not then to have proffered monie to have bought the power to doo miracles and woonders: for he could speake and pronounce the name of God, as well as the apostles. Indeed they maie soone throwe out all the divels that are in frankincense, and such like creatures, wherein no divels are: but neither they, nor all their holie water can indeed cure a man possessed with a divell, either in bodie or mind; as Christ did. Naie, why doo they not cast out the divell that possesseth their owne soules?

Let me heare anie of them all speake with new toongs, let them drinke but one dramme of a potion which I will prepare for them, let them cure the sicke by laieng on of hands (though witches take it upon them, and witchmongers beleeve it) and then I will subscribe unto them. But if they, which repose such certeintie in the actions of witches and conjurors, would diligentlie note their deceipt, andhow the scope whereat they shoote is monieMonie is the marke whereat al witches & conjurors doo aime.(I meane not such witches as are falselie accused, but such as take upon them to give answers, &c: as motherBungiedid) they should apparentlie see the cousenage. For they are abused, as are manie beholders of jugglers, which suppose they doo miraculouslie, that which is doone by slight and subtiltie.

But in this matter of witchcrafts and conjurations, if men would rather trust their owne eies, than old wives tales and lies, I dare undertake this matter would soone be at a perfect point; as being easier to be perceived than juggling. But I must needs confesse, that it is no great marvell, though the simple be abused therein, when such lies concerning those matters are mainteined by such persons of account, and thrust into their divine service. As for example:/325.It is written that S.Martinethrust his fingers into ones mouth that had a divell within him, and used to bite folke; and then did bid him devoure them if he could. And bicause the divell could not get out at his mouth, being stopt with S.MartinsS. Martins cōjuration:In die sancti Martini. lect. 1.fingers, he was faine to run out at his fundament. O stinking lie!/

That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other conjurors dooings, their owne being of so litle force, Hipocrates his opinion herein.

AND still me thinks papists (of all others) which indeed are most credulous, and doo most mainteine the force of witches charmes, and of conjurors cousenages, should perceive and judge conjurors dooings to be void of effect. For when they see their owne stuffe, as holie water, salt, candles, &c: conjured by their holie bishop and preests; & that in the words of consecration or conjuration (for so** To wit,Vincent. dominica in albis: in octa. pasch. sermone. 15.Durand. de exorcist.their owne doctors terme them) they adjure the water, &c: to heale, not onelie the soules infirmitie, but also everie maladie, hurt, or ach of the bodie; and doo also command the candles, with the force of all their authoritie and power, and by the effect of all their holie words, not to consume: and yet neither soule nor bodie anie thing recover, nor the candles last one minute the longer: with what face can they defend the others miraculous workes; as though the witches and conjurors actions were more effectuall than their owne?Hippocratesbeing but a heathen, and not having the perfect knowledge of God, could see and perceivetheir cousenage and knaverie well enough, who saith; They which boast so, that they can remoove or helpe the infections of diseases, with sacrifices, conjurations, or other magicall instruments or meanes, are but needie fellowes, wanting living; and therefore referre their words to the divell: bicause they would seeme to know somewhat more than the common people. It is marvell that papists doo affirme, that their holie water, crosses, or bugges words have such vertue and violence, as to drive awaie divels: so as they dare not approch to anie place or person besmeered with such stuffe; when as it appeareth in the gospell, that the divell presumed to assault and tempt Christ himselfe. For the divell indeed most ernestlie busieth him/selfe451.to seduce the godlie: as for the wicked, he maketh reckoning and just accompt of them, as of his owne alreadie. But let us go forward in our refutation./

How conjurors have beguiled witches, what bookes they carie about to procure credit to their art, wicked assertions against Moses and Joseph.

THUS you see that conjurors are no small fooles. For whereas witches being poore and needie, go from doore to doore for releefe, have they never so manie todes or cats at home, or never so much hogs doong and charvill*[* See p.117.]about them, or never so manie charmes in store: these conjurors (I saie) have gotten them offices in the church ofRome, wherby they haveA fowle offense to backbite yeabsent, & to beelie the dead.obteined authoritie & great estimation. And further, to adde credit to that art, these conjurors carrie about at this daie, bookes intituled under the names ofAdam,Abel,Tobie, &Enoch; whichEnochthey repute the most divine fellow in such matters. They have also among them bookes that they saieAbraham,AaronandSalomonmade. Item they have bookes ofZacharie,Paule,Honorius,Cyprian,Jerome,Jeremie,Albert, andThomas: also of the angels,Riziel,Razael, andRaphael; and these doubtlesse were such bookes as were said to have beene burnt in the lesserAsia.Acts. 19.And for their further credit they boast, that they must be and are skilfull and learned in these arts; to wit,Ars Almadell,ars Notoria,ars Bulaphiæ,ars Arthephii,ars Pomenar,†[† ?Pomonæ]ars Revelationis,&c.Yea, these conjurors in corners sticke not (withJustine)Just. lib. 16.to report and affirme, thatJoseph, who was a true figure of Christ that delivered and redeemed us, waslearned in these arts, and thereby prophesied and expounded dreames: and that those arts came from him toMoses, and finallie fromMosesto them: which thing bothPliniePlin. lib. 30. cap. 2.Strab. lib. 16.andTacitusaffirme ofMoses. AlsoStraboin his cosmographie maketh the verie like blasphemous report. And likewiseApollonius,/452.Molon,Possidonius,Lisimachus, andAppiantermeMosesboth a magician and a conjuror: whomEusebiusconfuteth with manie notable arguments. ForMosesdiffered as much from a magician, as truth from falshood, and pietie from vanitie: for in truth, he confounded all magicke, and made the world see, and the cunningest magicians of the earth confesse, that their owne dooings were but illusions, and that his miracles were wrought by the finger of God. But that the poore old witches knowledge reacheth thus farre (asDanæusDan. in dialog. de sortiariis.affirmeth it dooth) is untrue: for their furthest fetches that I can comprehend, are but to fetch a pot of milke, &c: from their neighbors house, halfe a mile distant from them./

All magicall arts confuted by an argument concerning Nero, what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have left written thereof, and prooved by experience.

SURELIENeroprooved all these magicall arts to be vaine and fabulous lies, and nothing but cousenage and knaverie. He was a notable prince, having gifts of nature enow to have conceived such matters, treasure enough to have emploied in the search thereof, he made no conscience therein, he had singular conferences thereabout; he offered, and would have given halfe his kingdome to have learned those things, which he heard might be wrought by magicians; he procured all the cunning magicians in the world to come toRome, he searched for bookes also, and all other things necessarie for a magician;Tiridates the great magician biddeth the emperor Nero to a banket, &c.and never could find anie thing in it, but cousenage and legierdemaine. At length he met with oneTiridates, the great magician, who having with him all his companions, and fellowe magicians, witches, conjurors, and couseners, invitedNero453.to certeine magicall bankets and exercises. Which whenNerorequired to learne,/ he (to hide his cousenage) answered that he would not, nor could not teach him, though he would have given him his kingdome. The matter of his refusall (I saie) was, leastNeroshould espie the cousening devises thereof. Which whenNeroconceived, and sawe the same, and allthe residue of that art to be vaine, lieng andNero made lawes against conjurors and conjurations.ridiculous, having onelie shadowes of truth, and that their arts were onelie veneficall; he prohibited the same utterlie, and made good and strong lawes against the use and the practisers thereof: asPlinieand others doo report. It is marvell that anie man can be so much abused, as to suppose that sathan may be commanded, compelled, or tied by the power of man: as though the divell would yeeld to man, beyond nature; that will not yeeld to God his creator, according to the rules of nature. And in so much as there be (as they confesse) good angels as well as bad; I would know whie they call up the angels of hell, and not call downe the angels of heaven. But this they answer (asAgrippaC. Agrip. lib. de vanitat. scient.saith.) Good angels (forsooth) doo hardlie appeare, and the other are readie at hand. Here I may not omit to tell you howCor. Agrippabewraieth, detecteth, and defaceth this art of conjuration, who in his youth travelled into the bottome of all these magicall sciences, and was not onelie a great conjuror and practiser thereof, but also wrote cunninglieDe occulta philosophia. Howbeit, afterwards in his wiser age, he recanteth his opinions, and lamenteth his follies in that behalfe, and discovereth the impietie and vanities of magicians, and inchanters, which boast they can doo miracles: which action is now ceased (saith he) and assigneth them a place withJannesandJambres, affirming that this art teacheth nothing but vaine toies for a shew.Carolus Gallusalso saith; I have tried oftentimes, by the witches and conjurors themselves, that their arts (especiallie those which doo consist of charmes, impossibilities,/328.conjurations, and witchcrafts, whereof they were woont to boast) to be meere foolishnes, doting lies, and dreames. I for my part can saie as much, but that I delight not to alledge mine owne proofes and authorities; for that mine adversaries will saie they are parciall, and not indifferent./

Of Salomons conjurations, and of the opinion conceived of his cunning and practise therein.

IT is affirmed by sundrie authors, thatSalomonwas the first inventor of those conjurations; and thereofJosephusis the first reporter, who in his fift bookeDe Judæorum antiquitatibus, cap. 22. rehearseth soberlie this storie following; whichPolydore Virgil, and manie other repeat verbatim, in this wise, and seeme to credit the fable, whereof there is skant a true word.

Salomonwas the greatest philosopher, and did philosophie about all things, and had the full and perfect knowlege of all their proprieties: but he had that gift given from above to him, for the profit and health of mankind: which is effectuall against divels. He made also inchantments, wherewith diseases are driven awaie; and left diverse maners of conjurations written, whereunto the divels giving place are so driven awaie, that they never returne. And this kind of healing is very common among my countrimen: for I sawe a neighbour of mine, oneEleazer, that in the presence ofVespasianProbatum estupon a patient before witnes:Ergono lie.and his sonnes, and the rest of the souldiers, cured many that were possessed with spirits. The maner and order of his cure was this. He did put unto the nose of the possessed a ring, under the seale wherof was inclosed a kind of roote, whose vertureSalomondeclared, and the savour thereof drewe the divell out at his nose; so as downe fell the man, and thenEleazerconjured the divell to depart, & to return no more to him. In the meane time he made mention ofSalomon, reciting incantations ofSalomonsowne making. And thenEleazerbeing willing to shew the standers by his cunning, and the wonderfull efficacie of his art, did set not farre from thence, a pot or basen full of water, & commanded the divell that went out of the man, that by the overthrowing thereof, he would give a signe to the beholders, that he had utterlie forsaken and leaft the man./455.Which thing being doone, none there doubted how greatSalomonsknowledge and wisedome was. Wherin a jugling knacke was produced, to confirme a cogging cast of knaverie or cousenage.

Another storie ofSalomonsconjuration I find cited in the sixt lesson, read in the church ofRomeupon S.Margaretsdaie, far more ridiculous than this. AlsoPeter Lombardmaister of the sentences, andGratianLib. 4 dist. 14.Decret. aureum. dist. 21Rub. de exorcist.his brother, the compiler of the golden decrees; andDurandusin hisRationale divinorum, doo all soberlie affirmeSalomonscunning in this behalfe; and speciallie this tale; to wit, thatSalomoninclosed certeine thousand di/vels329.in a brasen bowle, and left it in a deepe hole or lake, so as afterwards theBabyloniansfound it, and supposing there had beene gold or silver therein, brake it, and out flew all the divels, &c. And that this fable is of credit, you shall perceive, in that it is thought woorthie to be read in the Romish church as parcell of their divine service. Looke in the lessons of S.MargaretsLect. 5. & 6.daie the virgine, and you shall find these words verbatim: which I the rather recite, bicause it serveth me for divers turnes; to wit, forSalomonsconjurations, for the tale of the brasen vessell, and for the popes conjurations, which extended both to faith and doctrine, and to shew of what credit their religion is, that so shamefullie is stained with lies and fables.

Lessons read in all churches, where the pope hath authoritie, on S. Margarets daie, translated into English word for word.

HOLIEMargaretrequired of GOD, that she might have a conflict face to face with hir secret enimie the divell; and rising from praier,Lect. in die sanctissimæ Marg. vir. 5.she sawe a terrible dragon, that would have devoured hir, but she made the signe of the crosse, and the dragon burst in the middest.

Lect. 6.Afterwards, she sawe another man/456.sitting like a Niger, having his hands bound fast to his knees, she taking him by the haire of the head, threw him to the ground, and set hir foote on his head; and hir praiers being made, a light shined from heaven into the prison where she was, and the crosse of Christ was seene in heaven, with a doove sitting thereon, who said; Blessed art thou OMargaret, the gates of paradise attend thy comming. Then she giving thanks to God, said to the divell, Declare to me thy name. The divell said; Take awaie thy foote from my head, that I may be able to speake, and tell thee: which being done, the divell said, I amVeltis,Looke in the word Iidoni, pag. 383.one of them whomeSalomonshut in the brasen vessell, and theBabylonianscomming, and supposing there had beene gold therein, brake the vessell, and then we flew out: ever since lieng in wait to annoie the just. But seeing I have recited a part of hir storie, you shall also have the end therof: for at the time of hir execution this was hir praier following.

Grant therefore O father, that whosoever writeth, readeth, or heareth my passion, or maketh memoriall of me, may deserve pardon for all his sinnes: whosoever calleth on me, being at the point of death, deliver him out of the hands of his adversaries. And I also require, O Lord, that whosoever shall build a church in the honor of me, or ministreth unto me anie candles** For the preests profit, I warrant you.of his just labour, let him obteine whatsoever he asketh for his health. Deliver all women in travell that call upon me, from the danger thereof.

This is cōmon (they saie) when a witch or conjuror dieth.Hir praier ended, there were manie great thunderclaps, and a doove came downe from heaven, saieng; Blessed art thou OMargaretthe spouse of Christ. Such things as thou hast asked, are granted unto thee; there/fore330.come thou into everlasting rest, &c. Then the hangman (though she did bid him) refused to cut off hir head: to whome she said; Except thou doo it, thou canst have no part with me, and then lo he did it, &c. But sithens I have beene, and must be tedious, Ithought good to refresh my reader with a lamentable storie, depending upon the matter precedent, reported by manie grave authors, word for word, in maner and forme following./

A delicate storie of a Lombard, who by S. Margarets example would needs fight with a reall divell.

THERE was (after a sermon made, wherein this storie of S.Margaretwas recited, for in such stuffe consisted not onelie their service, but also their sermons in the blind time of poperie:) there was (I saie) a certeine yoong man, being aLombard, whose simplicitie was such, as he had no respect unto the commoditie of worldlie things, but did altogither affect the salvation of his soule, who hearing how great S.MargaretsKakozelia.triumph was, began to consider with himselfe, how full of slights the divell was. And among other things thus he said; Oh that God would suffer, that the divell might fight with me hand to hand in visible forme! I would then surelie in like maner overthrow him, and would fight with him till I had the victorie. And therefore about the twelfe houre he went out of the towne, and finding a convenient place where to praie, secretlie kneeling on his knees, he praied among other things, that God would suffer the divell to appeare unto him in visible forme, that according to the example of S.Margaret, he might overcome him in battell. And as he was in the middest of his praiers, there came into that place a woman with a hooke in hir hand, to gather certeine hearbs which grew there, who was dumme borne.Mutuall error by meanes of sudden sight.And when she came into the place, and saw the yoong man among the hearbs on his knees, she was afraid, and waxed pale, and going backe, she rored in such sort, as hir voice could not be understood, and with hir head and fists made threatning signes unto him. The yoong man seeing such an ilfavoured fowle queane, that was for age decrepit and full of wrinkles, with a long bodie, leane of face, pale of colour, with ragged cloathes, crieng verie lowd, and having a voice not understandable, threatning him with the hooke which she carried in hir hand, he thought surelie she had beene no woman, but a divell appea/ring458.unto him in the shape of a woman, and thought God had heard his praiers. For the which causes he fell upon hir lustilie, and at length threw hir downe to the ground, saieng; Art thou come thou curssed divell, art thou come? No no, thou shalt not overthrow me in visible fight, whome thou hast often overcome in invisible temptation.

And as he spake these words, he caught hir by the haire, and drew hir about, beating hir sometimes with his hands, sometimes with his heeles, and sometimes with the hooke so long, and wounded hir so sore, that he/331.left hir a dieng. At the noise whereof manie people came running unto them, and seeing what was doone, they apprehended the yoong man, and thrust him into a vile prison. S.VincentS. Vincent raiseth the dead woman to life.by vertue of his holines understanding all this matter, caused the bodie that seemed dead to be brought unto him, and thereupon (according to his maner) he laid his hand upon hir, who immediatlie revived, and he called one of his chaplines to heare hir confession. But they that were present said to the man of God, that it were altogether in vaine so to doo, for that she had beene from hir nativitie dumbe, and could neither heare nor understand the priest, neither could in words confesse hir sinnes. Notwithstanding, S.VincentS. Vincent maketh the dumbe to speake.bad the priest heare hir confession, affirming that she should verie distinctlie speake all things unto him. And therfore, whatsoever the man of God commanded, the priest did confidentlie accomplish and obeie: and as soone as the priest approched unto hir, to heare hir confession, she, whome allCathaloniaknew to be dumbe borne, spake, and confessed hir selfe, pronouncing everie word as distinctlie, as though she had never beene dumbe. After hir confession she required the eucharist and extreame unction to be ministred unto hir, and at length she commended hir selfe to God; and in the presence of all that came to see that miracle, she spake as long as she had anie breath in hir bodie. The yoong man that killed hir being saved from the gallowes by S.Vincentsmeanes, and at his intercession, departed home intoItalie.Dist. 8. exempl. 17. serm. 59. cap. 20.This storie last rehearsed is found inSpeculo exemplorum, and repeated also byRobert Carocul: bishop ofAquinas, and manie others, and preached publikelie in the church ofRome./

The storie of Saint Margaret prooved to be both ridiculous and impious in everie point.

FIRST, that the storie ofS. Margaretis a fable, may be prooved by the incredible, impossible, foolish, impious, and blasphemous matters conteined therein, and by the ridiculous circumstance thereof. Though it were cruellie doone of hir to beat the divell, when his hands were bound; yet it was courteouslie doone of hir, to pull awaie hir foot at his desire. Hecould not speake so long as she troad on his head, and yet he said; Tread off, that I may tell you what I am. She sawe the heavens open, and yet she was in a close prison. But hir sight was verie cleare, that could see a little dove sitting upon a crosse so farre off. For heaven is higher than the sunne; and the sunne, when it is neerest to us, is 3966000. miles from us.Secundùm Bordinum Corrigens. Quæsit. Math. tract. 1. sect. 77.And she had a good paire of eares, that could heare a dove speake so farre off. And she had good lucke, that S.Peter, who (they saie) is porter, or else the pope, who hath more dooings thanPeter, had such leisure as to staie the gates so long/332.for hir.Salomonprovided no good place, neither tooke good order with his brasen bowle. I marvell how they escaped that let out the divels. It is marvell also they melted it not with their breath long before: for the divels carrie hell and hell fier about with them alwaies; in so much as (they saie) they leave ashes evermore where they stand.Psellus de operatione dæmonum.Surelie she made in hir praier an unreasonable request. But the date of hir patent is out: for I beleeve that whosoever at this daie shall burne a pound of good candle before hir, shall be never the better, but three pence the worsse. But now we may find in S.Margaretslife, who it is that is Christes wife: whereby we are so much wiser than we were before. But looke in the life ofS. Katharine, in the golden legend, and you shall find that he was also married toS. Katharine, and that our ladie made the marriage, &c. An excellent authoritie for/460.bigamie. Here I will also cite other of their notable stories, or miracles of authoritie, and so leave shaming of them, or rather troubling you the readers thereof. Neither would I have written these fables, but that they are authentike among the papists, and that we that are protestants may be satisfied, as well of conjurors and witches miracles, as of the others: for the one is as grosse as the other.

A pleasant miracle wrought by a popish preest.

WHAT time theWaldensesIn speculo exemplorum, dist. 6. ex lib. exemplorum, Cæsariis, exempl. 69.heresies beganne to spring, certeine wicked men, being upheld and mainteined by diabolicall vertue, shewed certeine signes and woonders, wherby they strengthened and confirmed their heresies, and perverted in faith many faithfull men; for they walked on the water and were not drowned. But a certeine catholike preest seeing the same, and knowing that true signes could not be joined with false doctrine, brought the bodie of our Lord, with the pix, tothe water,Memorandum, it is confessed in poperie that true miracles cannot be joined with false doctrine:Ergoneither papist, witch, nor conjuror can worke miracles.where they shewed their power and vertue to the people, and said in the hearing of all that were present: I conjure thee O divell, by him, whom I carrie in my hands, that thou exercise not these great visions and phantasies by these men, to the drowning of this people. Notwithstanding these words, when they walked still on the water, as they did before, the preest in a rage threw the bodie of our Lord, with the pix into the river, and by and by, so soone as the sacrament touched the element, the phantasie gave place to the veritie; and they being prooved and made false, did sinke like lead to the bottome, and were drowned; the pix with the sacrament immediatlie was taken awaie by an angell. The preest seeing all these things, was verie glad of the miracle, but for the losse of the sacrament he was verie pensive, passing awaie the whole night in teares and moorning: in the morning he found the pix with the sacrament upon the altar.//

The former miracle confuted, with a strange storie of saint Lucie.

HOW glad Sir John was now it were follie for me to saie. How would he have plagued the divell, that threw his god in the river to be drowned? But if other had had no more power to destroie theWaldenseswith sword and fier, than this preest had to drowne them with his conjuring boxe & cousening sacraments, there should have beene many a life saved. But I may not omit one fable, which is of authoritie, wherein though there be no conjuration expressed, yet I warrant you there was cousenage both in the dooing and telling thereof. ☞ You shall read in the lesson on saintLuciesdaie, that she being condemned, could not be remooved from the place with a teeme of oxen,Lect. in die sanctæ Luciæ 7 & 8.neither could any fier burne hir, insomuch as one was faine to cut off hir head with a sword, and yet she could speake afterwards as long as she list. And this passeth all other miracles, except it be that whichBodinandM. Mal. recite out ofNider, of a witch that could not be burned, till a scroll was taken awaie from where she hid it, betwixt hir skin and flesh.

Of visions, noises, apparitions, and imagined sounds, and of other illusions, of wandering soules: with a confutation thereof.

MANIE thorough melancholie doo imagine, that they see or heare visions, spirits, ghosts, strange noises, &c:See the storie of Simō Davie and Ade his wife, lib. 3. cap. 10. pag. 55, 56, 57.as I have alreadie prooved before, at large. Manie againe thorough feare proceeding from a cowardlie nature and complexion, or from an effeminate and fond bringing up, are timerous and afraid of/462.spirits, and bugs, &c. Some through imperfection of sight also are afraid of their owne shadowes, and (asAristotlesaith) see themselves sometimes as it were in a glasse. And some through weakenesse of bodie have such unperfect imaginations. Droonken men also sometimes suppose they see trees walke, &c: according to that whichSalomonsaith to the droonkards; Thine eies shall see strange visions, and mervellous appearances.

Against the counterfet visions of popish preests, & other cousening devises.In all ages moonks and preests have abused and bewitched the world with counterfet visions; which proceeded through idlenes, and restraint of marriage, wherby they grew hot and lecherous, and therefore devised such meanes to compasse and obteine their loves. And the simple people being then so superstitious, would never seeme to mistrust, that such holie men would make them cuckholds, but forsooke their beds in that case, and gave roome to the cleargie. Item, little children have beene so scared with their mothers maids, that they could never after endure to be in the darke alone, for feare of bugs. Manie are deceived by glasses through/334.art perspective. Manie hearkening unto false reports, conceive and beleeve that which is nothing so. Manie give credit to that which they read in authors. But how manie stories and bookes are written of walking spirits and soules of men, contrarie to the word of God; a reasonable volume cannot conteine. How common an opinion was it among the papists, that all soules walked on the earth, after they departed from their bodies? In so much as it was in the time of poperie a usuall matter, to desire sicke people in their death beds, to appeare to them after their death, and to reveale their estate. The fathers and ancient doctors of the church were too credulous herein, &c. Therefore no mervell, though the common simple sort of men, and least of all, that women be deceived herein. God in times past did send downe visible angels and appearances to men; but now he dooth not so. Through ignorance of late in religion, it was thought, that everiechurchyard swarmed with soules and spirits: but now the word of God being more free, open, and knowne, those conceipts and illusions are made more manifest and apparent, &c.

The doctors, councels, and popes, which (they saie) cannot erre, have confirmed the walking, appearing, & raising of soules./463.But where find they in the scriptures anie such doctrine? And who certified them, that those appearances were true? Trulie all they cannot bring to passe, that the lies which have beene spread abroad herein, should now beginne to be true, though the pope himselfe subscribe, seale, and sweare thereunto never so much. Where are the soules that swarmed in times past? Where are the spirits? Who heareth their noises? Who seeth their visions? Where are the soules that made such mone for trentals, whereby to be eased of the paines in purgatorie? Are they all gone intoItalie, bicause masses are growne deere here inEngland? Marke well this illusion, and see how contrarie it is unto the word of God. Consider how all papists beleeve this illusion to be true, and how all protestants are driven to saie it is and was popish illusion.This doctrine was not onlie preached, but also prooved; note the particular instāces following.Where be the spirits that wandered to have buriall for their bodies? For manie of those walking soules went about that busines. Doo you not thinke, that the papists shew not themselves godlie divines, to preach and teach the people such doctrine; and to insert into their divine service such fables as are read in the Romish church, all scripture giving place thereto for the time? You shall see in the lessons read there upon S.Stevensdaie, thatGamaliel Nichodemushis kinsman, andAbdiashis sonne, with his freend S.Steven, appeared to a certeine preest, called SirLucian, requesting him to remove their bodies, and to burie them in some better place (for they had lien from the time of their death, untill then, being in the reigne ofHonoriusthe emperor; to wit, foure hundred yeeres buried in the field ofGamaliel, who in that respect said to SirLucian;Non mei solummodo causa solicitus sum, sed potiùs pro illis qui mecum sunt; that is, I am not onlie carefull for my selfe, but cheefelie for those my friends that are with me. Whereby the whole course may be perceived to be a false practise, and a counterfet vision, or rather a lewd invention. For in heaven mens soules remaine not in sorow and care; neither studie they there how to compasse/335.and get a worshipfull buriall here in earth. If they did, they would not have foreslowed it so long. Now therefore let us not suffer our selves to be abused anie longer, either with conjuring preests, or melancholicall witches; but be thankfull to God that hath delivered us from such blindnes and error./

Cardanus opinion of strange noises, how counterfet visions grow to be credited, of popish appeerances, of pope Boniface.

CARDANUSH. Card. lib. de var. rer. 15. ca. 92.speaking of noises, among other things, saith thus; A noise is heard in your house; it may be a mouse, a cat, or a dog among dishes; it may be a counterfet or a theefe indeed, or the fault may be in your eares. I could recite a great number of tales, how men have even forsaken their houses, bicause of such apparitions and noises: and all hath beene by meere and ranke knaverie. And wheresoever you shall heare, that there is in the night season such rumbling and fearefull noises, be you well assured that it is flat knaverie, performed by some that seemeth most to complaine, and is least mistrusted. And hereof there is a verie art, which for some respects I will not discover. The divell seeketh dailie as well as nightlie whome he may devoure, and can doo his feats as well by daie as by night, or else he is a yoong divell, and a verie bungler. But of all other couseners, these conjurors are in the highest degree, and are most worthie of death for their blasphemous impietie. But that these popish visions and conjurations used as well by papists, as by the popes themselves, were meere cousenages; and that the tales of the popes recited byBrunoandPlatina, of their magicall devises, were but plaine cousenages and knaveries, may appeare by the historie ofBonifaciusthe eight, who used this kind of inchantment, to get away the popedome from his predecessorCœlestinus. He counterfetted a voice through a cane reed, as though it had come from heaven, persuading him to yeeld up his authoritie of popeship, and to institute therein oneBonifacius,PopeCœlestinuscousened of his popedome by popeBoniface.a worthier man: otherwise he threatened him with damnation. And therfore the foole yeelded it up accordinglie, to the saidBonifacius,An.1264. of whom it was said; He came in like a fox, lived like a woolfe, and died like a dog./

465.There be innumerable examples of such visions, which when they are not detected, go for true stories: and therefore when it is answered that some are true tales and some are false, untill they be able to shew foorth before your eies one matter of truth, you may replie upon them with this distinction; to wit:Visions distinguishedvisions tried are false visions, undecided and untried are true./

Of the noise or sound of eccho, of one that narrowlie escaped drowning thereby, &c.

ALAS! how manie naturall things are there so strange, as to manie seeme miraculous; and how manie counterfet matters are there, that to the simple seeme yet more wonderfull?CardaneH. Card. lib. de subtilitat. 18.telleth of oneComensis, who comming late to a rivers side, not knowing where to passe over, cried out alowd for some bodie to shew him the foord: who hearing an eccho to answer according to his last word, supposing it to be a man that answered him and informed him of the waie, he passed through the river, even there where was a deepe whirlepoole, so as he hardlie escaped with his life; and told his freends, that the divell had almost persuaded him to drowne himselfe. And in some places these noises of eccho are farre more strange than other, speciallie atTicinuminItalie,Idem, ibid.in the great hall, where it rendereth sundrie and manifold noises or voices, which seeme to end so lamentablie, as it were a man that laie a dieng; so as few can be persuaded that it is the eccho, but a spirit that answereth.

The noise atWinchesterOf Winchester noise.was said to be a verie miracle, and much wondering was there at it, about the yeare 1569. though indeed a meere naturall noise ingendered of the wind, the concavitie of the place, and other instrumentall matters helping the sound to seeme strange to the hearers; speciallie to such as would adde new reports to the augmentation of the woonder./

Of Theurgie, with a confutation thereof, a letter sent to me concerning these matters.

THERE is yet another art professed by these cousening conjurors, which some fond divines affirme to be more honest and lawfull than necromancie, which is called Theurgie; wherein they worke by good angels. Howbeit, their ceremonies are altogether papisticall and superstitious, consisting in cleanlines partlie of the mind, partlie of the bodie, and partlie of things about and belonging to the bodie; as in the skinne, in the apparell, in the house, in the vessell and houshold stuffe, inoblations and sacrifices; the cleanlines whereof, they saie, dooth dispose men to the contemplation of heavenlie things. They cite these words ofEsaiefor their authoritie; to wit: Wash your selves and be cleane, &c. In so much as I have knowne diverse superstitious persons of good account, which usuallie washed all their apparell upon conceits ridiculouslie. For uncleanlinesse (they say) corrupteth the aire, infecteth man, and chaseth awaie cleane/337.spirits. Hereunto belongeth the art ofAlmadel,Appendents unto the supposed divine art of Theurgie.the art ofPaule, the art of Revelations, and the art Notarie. But (asAgrippasaith) the more divine these arts seeme to the ignorant, the more damnable they be. But their false assertions, their presumptions to worke miracles, their characters, their strange names, their diffuse phrases, their counterfet holines, their popish ceremonies, their foolish words mingled with impietie, their barbarous and unlearned order of construction, their shameles practises, their paltrie stuffe, their secret dealing, their beggerlie life, their bargaining with fooles, their cousening of the simple, their scope and drift for monie dooth bewraie all their art to be counterfet cousenage. And the more throughlie to satisfie you herein, I thought good in this place to insert a letter, upon occasion sent unto me, by one which at this present time lieth as a prisoner condemned for this verie matter in the kings bench, and reprived by hir majesties mer/cie,467.through the good mediation of a most noble and vertuous personage, whose honorable and godlie disposition at this time I will forbeare to commend as I ought. The person truelie that wrote this letter seemeth unto me a good bodie, well reformed, and penitent, not expecting anie gaines at my hands, but rather fearing to speake that which he knoweth further in this matter, least displeasure might ensue and follow.

MAISTER R. SCOT,†[† This letter in Rom.]Marke the summe and scope of this letter.according to your request, I have drawne out certeine abuses worth the noting, touching the worke you have in hand; things which I my selfe have seene within these xxvi. yeares, among those which were counted famous and skilfull in those sciences. And bicause the wholediscourse cannot be set downe, without nominating certeine persons, of whom some are dead & some living, whose freends remaine yet of great credit: in respect therof, I knowing that mine enimies doo alreadie in number exceed my freends; I have considered with my selfe, that it is better for me to staie my hand, than to commit that to the world, which may increase my miserie more than releeve the same. Notwithstanding, bicause I am noted above a great manie others to have had some dealings in those vaine arts and wicked practises; I am therefore to signifie unto you, and I speake it in the presence of God, that among all those famous and noted practisers, that I have beene conversant withall these xxvi. yeares, I could never see anie matter of truth to be/468.doone in those wicked sciences, but onelie meere cousenings and illusions. And they, whome I thought to be most skilfull therein, sought to see some things at my hands, who had spent my time a dozen or fourteen years, to my great losse and hinderance, and could/338.never at anie time see anie one truth, or sparkle of truth therein. Yet at this present I stand worthilie condemned for the same; for that, contrarie to my princes lawes, and the lawe of God, and also to mine owne conscience, I did spend my time in such vaine and wicked studies and practises: being made and remaining a spectacle for all others to receive warning by. The Lord grant I may be the last (I speake it from my hart) and I wish it, not onlie in my native coūtrie, but also through the whole face of the earth, speciallie among Christians. For mine owne part I lament my time lost, & have repented me five yeares past: at which time I sawe a booke, written in the old Saxon toong, by one Sir John MalborneS. John Malbornes booke detecting the devises of conjuratiō, &c.a divine of Oxenford, three hundred yeares past; wherein he openeth all the illusions & inventions of those arts and sciences: a thing most worthie the noting. I left the booke with the parson of Slangham in Sussex, where if you send for it in my name, you may have it. You shall thinke your labour well bestowed, and it shall greatlie further the good enterprise you have in hand: and there shall you see the whole science throughlie discussed, and all their illusions and cousenages deciphered at large. Thus craving pardon at your hands for that I promised you, being verie fearefull, doubtfull, and loth to set my hand or name under any thing that may be offensive to the world, or hurtfull to my selfe, considering my case, except I had the better warrant from my L. of Leicester, who is my verie good Lord, and by whome next under God (hir Majestie onelie excepted) I have beene preserved; and therefore loth to doo any thing that may offend his Lordships eares./469.And so I leave your Worship to the Lords keeping, who bring you and all your actions to good end and purpose, to Gods glorie, and to the profit of all Christians. Fromthe bench this 8. of March, 1582. Your Worships poore and desolate friend and servant, T. E.

I sent for this booke of purpose, to the parson ofSlangham, and procured his best friends, men of great worship and credit, to deale with him, that I might borrowe it for a time. But such is his follie and superstition, that although he confessed he had it; yet he would not lend it: albeit a friend of mine, being knight of the shire would have given his word for the restitution of the same safe and sound.

The author his conclusion.The conclusion therefore shall be this, whatsoever heeretofore hath gone for currant, touching all these fallible arts, whereof hitherto I have written in ample sort, be now counted counterfet, and therefore not to be allowed no not by common sense, much lesse by reason, which should sift such cloked and pretended practises, turning them out of their rags and patched clowts, that they may appeere discovered, and shew themselves in their nakednesse. Which will be the end of everie secret intent, privie purpose, hidden practise, and close devise, have they never such shrowds and shelters for the time: and be they with never so much cautelousnesse and subtill circumspection clouded and shadowed, yet will they at length be manifestlie detected by the light, according to that old rimed verse:/

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