The second Chapter.
That the gift of prophesie is ceased.
HAT witches, nor the woman of Endor, nor yet hir familiar or divell can tell what is to come, may plainelie appeare by the words of the prophet,Isai. 41. who saith; Shew what things are to come, and we will saie you are gods indeed. According to that which Salomon saith; Who can tell a man what shall happen him under the sunne?1 Sam. 28.
Rom. 12.
1. Cor. 12.
1. Pet. 1. Marrie that can I (saith the witch of Endor to Saule.) But I will rather beleeve Paule and Peter, which saie, that prophesie is the gift of God, and no worldlie thing. Then a cousening queane,[del. the full stop] that taketh upon hir to doo all things, and can doo nothing but beguile men: up steppeth also mother Bungie, and she can tell you where your horsse or your asse is bestowed, or anie thing that you have lost is become, as Samuell could; and what you have doone in all your age past, as Christ did to the woman of Sichar at JacobsJohn. 4. well; yea and what your errand is, before you speake, as Elizæus did.
Peter Martyr saith, that onelie God and man knoweth the/159. heart of man, and therefore, that the divell must be secluded,P. Martyr. loc. com. 9. sect. 17. alledging these places; Solus Deus est scrutator cordium, Onelie God is the searcher of hearts. And, Nemo scit quæ sunt hominis, nisi spiritus hominis qui est in eo, None knoweth the things of man, but the spirit of man which is within him. And Salomon saith, Tu solus nosti cogitationes hominum, Thou onelie knowest the thoughts of men. And Jeremie saith in the person of God, Ego Deus scrutans corda & renes, I am God searching hearts and reines. Also Matthew saith of Christ, Jesus autem videns cogitationes eorum, And Jesus seeing their thoughts, who in scripture is called the searcher and knower/117. of the thoughts in the heart: as appeareth in Acts, 1. & 15. Rom. 8. Matth. 9. 12. & 22. Marke. 2. Luke. 6, & 7. & 11. John. 1. 2. 6. & 13. Apoc. 2. & 3. and in other places infinite.
The same Peter MartyrP. Martyr. in loc. comm. also saith, that the divell maie suspect, but not know our thoughts: for if he should know our thoughts, he should understand our faith; which if he did, he would never assalt us with one temptation. Indeed we read that Samuel could tell where things lost were straied, &c: but we see that gift also ceased by the comming of Christ, according to the saieng of Paule; Hebr. 1, 8. & 2. At sundrie times, and in diverse maners God spake in the old times by our fathers the prophets, in these last daies he hath spoken unto us by his sonne, &c. And therefore I saie that gift of prophesie, where- with God in times past endued his people, is also ceased, and counterfeits and couseners are come in their places, according to this saieng of Peter:2. Pet. 2. 1. There were false prophets among the people, even as there shalbe false teachers among you, &c. And thinke not that so notable a gift should be taken from the beloved and elect people of God, and committed to mother Bungie, and such like of hir profession.
The words of the prophet Zacharie are plaine, touching the ceasing both of the good and bad prophet,Zach. 13. to wit: I will cause the prophets and uncleane spirits to depart out of the land, and when anie shall yet prophesie, his parents shall saie to him; Thou shalt not live, for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his parents shall thrust him through when he prophesieth, &c.J. Chrysost. in evang. Johan. hom. 18.
Pet. Blest. epist. 49. No, no: the foretelling of things to come, is the onelie worke of God, who disposeth all things sweetlie, of whose counsell there hath never yet beene anie man. And to know our labours, the times/160. and moments God hath placed in his owne power. Also Phavorinus saith, that if these cold prophets or oraclers tell thee prosperitie, and deceive thee, thou art made a miser through vaine expectation: if they tell thee of adversitie, &c: and lie, thou art made a miser through vaine feare. And therefore I saie, we maie as well looke to heare prophesies at the tabernacle, in the bush, of the cherubin, among the clouds, from the angels, within the arke, or out of the flame, &c: as to expect an oracle of a prophet in these daies.
But put the case, that one in our common wealth should step up and saie he were a prophet (as manie frentike persons doo) who would beleeve him, or not thinke rather that he were a lewd person? See the statutes Elizab. 5.Canon. de. malef. & mathemat. whether there be not lawes made against them, condemning their arrogancie and cousenage: see also the canon lawes to the same effect.