Chap. V.
ARGUMENT.
Witches actiones towardes others. Why there are more women of that craft nor men? What thinges are possible to them to effectuate by the power of their master. The reasons thereof. What is the surest remedie of the harmes done by them.
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PHILOMATHES.
Forsooth your opinion in this, seemes to carrie most reason with it, and sence yee have ended, then the actions belonging properly to their owne persones: say forwarde now to their actiones used towardes others.
EPI. In their actiones used towardes others, three thinges ought to be considered: first the maner of their consulting thereupon: next their part as instrumentes: and last their masters parte, who puts the same in execution. As to their consultationes thereupon, they use them oftest in the Churches, where they conveene for adoring: at what time their master enquiring at them what they would be at: everie one of them propones unto him, what wicked turne they would have done, either for obteining of riches, or for revenging them upon anie whome they have malice at: who granting their demande, as no doubt willinglie he wil, since it is to doe evill, he teacheth them the means, wherby they may do the same. As for little trifling turnes that women have ado with, he causeth them to joynt dead corpses, & to make powders thereof, mixing such other thinges there amongst, as he gives unto them.
PHI. But before yee goe further, permit mee I pray you to interrupt you one worde, which yee have put mee in memorie of, by speaking of Women. What can be the cause that there are twentie women given to that craft, where ther is one man?
EPI. The reason is easie, for as that sexe is frailer then man is,p.044 so is it easier to be intrapped in these grosse snares of the Devill, as was over well proved to be true, by the Serpents deceiving of Eua at the beginning, which makes him the homelier with that sexe sensine.
PHI. Returne now where ye left.
EPI. To some others at these times hee teacheth how to make Pictures of waxe or clay: that by the rosting thereof, the persones that they beare the name of, may be continuallie melted or dryed awaie by continuall sicknesse. To some hee gives such stones or boulders, as will helpe to cure or cast on diseases: and to some he teacheth kindes of uncouthe poysons, which Mediciners understandes not (for he is farre cunningner then man in the knowledge of all the occult proprieties of nature) not that anie of these meanes which hee teacheth them (except the poysons which are composed of thinges naturall) can of them selves helpe any thing to these turnes, that they are employed in, but onelie being Gods Ape, as well in that, as in all other thinges. Even as God by his Sacramentes which are earthlie of themselves workes a heavenlie effect, though no waies by any cooperation in them: and as CHRIST by clay & spettle wrought together, opened the eies of the blynd man,John. 9 suppose there was no vertue in that which he outwardlie applyed, so the Devill will have his out-warde meanes to be shewes as it were of his doing, which hath no part of cooperation in his turnes with him, how farre that ever the ignorantes be abused in the contrarie.p.045 And as to the effectes of these two former partes, to wit, the consultationes and the outward meanes, they are so wounderfull as I dare not allege anie of them, without joyning a sufficient reason of the possibilitie thereof. For leaving all the small trifles among wives, and to speake of the principall poyntes of their craft. For the common trifles thereof, they can do without converting well inough by themselves: these principall poyntes I say are these: they can make men or women to love or hate other, which may be verie possible to the Devil to effectual, seing he being a subtile spirite, knowes well inough how to perswade the corrupted affection of them whom God will permit him so to deale with: They can lay the siknesse of one upon an other, which likewise is verie possible unto him: for since by Gods permission, he layed siknesse upon JOB, why may he not farre easilier lay it upon any other: for as an old practisian, he knowes well inough what humor domines most in anie of us, and as a spirite hee can subtillie walken up the same, making it peccant, or to abounde, as he thinkes meete for troubling of us, when God will so permit him. And for the taking off of it, no doubt he will be glad to relive such of present paine, as he may thinke by these meanes to perswade to bee catched in his everlasting snares and fetters. They can be-witch and take the life of men or women, by rosting of the Pictures, as I spake of before, which likewise is verie possible to their Master to performe, for although, (as I saide before) that instrumente of waxe have no vertue in that turne p.046 doing, yet may hee not verie well even by that same measure that his conjured slaves meltes that waxe at the fire, may he not I say at these same times, subtilie as a spirite so weaken and scatter the spirites of life of the patient, as may make him on th'one part, for faintnesse to sweate out the humour of his bodie: and on the other parte, for the not concurrence of these spirites, which causes his digestion, so debilitat his stomak, that his humour radicall continually, sweating out on the one parte, and no new good suck being put in the place thereof, for lack of digestion on the other, hee at last shall vanish awaie, even as his picture will doe at the fire. And that knavish and cunning woorkeman, by troubling him onely at some times, makes a proportion so neare betuixt the woorking of the one and the other, that both shall ende as it were at one time. They can rayse stormes and tempestes in the aire, either upon Sea or land, though not universally, but in such a particular place and prescribed boundes, as God will permitte them so to trouble: which likewise is verie easie to be discerned from anie other naturall tempestes that are meteores, in respect of the suddaine and violent raising thereof, together with the short induring of the same. And this is likewise verie possible to their master to do, he having such affinitie with the aire as being a spirite, and having such power of the forming and mooving thereof,p.047 as ye have heard me alreadie declare: For in the Scripture, that stile of the Prince of the aire is given unto him.Ephes. 2 They can make folkes to becom phrenticque or Maniacque, which likewise is very possible to their master to do, sence they are but naturall sicknesses: and so he may lay on these kindes, aswell as anie others. They can make spirites either to follow and trouble persones, or haunt certaine houses, and affraie oftentimes the inhabitantes: as hath bene knowen to be done by our Witches at this time. And likewise they can make some to be possessed with spirites, & so to becom verie Dæmoniacques: and this last sorte is verie possible likewise to the Devill their Master to do, since he may easilie send his owne angells to trouble in what forme he pleases, any whom God wil permit him so to use.
PHI. But will God permit these wicked instrumentes by the power of the Devill their master, to trouble by anie of these meanes, anie that beleeves in him?
EPI. No doubt, for there are three kinde of folkes whom God will permit so to be tempted or troubled; the wicked for their horrible sinnes, to punish them in the like measure; the godlie that are sleeping in anie great sinnes or infirmities and weakenesse in faith, to waken them up the faster by such an uncouth forme: and even some of the best, that their patience may bee tryed before the world, as JOBS was. For why may not God use anie kinde of extraordinarie punishment, when it pleases him; as well as the ordinarie roddes of sicknesse or other adversities.p.048
PHI. Who then may be free from these Devilish practises?
EPI. No man ought to presume so far as to promise anie impunitie to himselfe: for God hath before all beginninges preordinated aswell the particular sortes of Plagues as of benefites for everie man, which in the owne time he ordaines them to be visited with, & yet ought we not to be the more affrayde for that, of any thing that the Devill and his wicked instrumentes can do against us: For we dailie fight against the Devill in a hundreth other waies: and therefore as a valiant Captaine, affraies no more being at the combat, nor stayes from his purpose for the rummishing shot of a Cannon, nor the small clack of a Pistolet: suppose he be not certaine what may light upon him; even so ought we boldlie to goe forwarde in fighting against the Devill without anie greater terrour, for these his rarest weapons, nor for the ordinarie whereof wee have daily the proofe.
PHI. Is it not lawfull then by the helpe of some other Witche to cure the disease that is casten on by that craft?
EPI. No waies lawfull: for I gave you the reason thereof in that axiome of Theologie, which was the last wordes I spake of Magie.
PHI. How then may these diseases be lawfullie cured?
EPI. Onelie by earnest prayer to GOD, by amendement of their lives, and by sharp persewing everie one, according to his calling of these instrumentes of Sathan, whose punishment to the deathp.049 will be a salutarie sacrifice for the patient. And this is not onely the lawfull way, but likewise the most sure: For by the Devils meanes, can never the Devill be casten out, as Christ sayeth.Mark. 3 And when such a cure is used, it may wel serve for a shorte time, but at the last, it will doubtleslie tend to the utter perdition of the patient, both in bodie and soule.