The xvi. Chapter.
Witches miracles compared to Christs, that God is the creator of all things, of Apollo, and of his names and portraiture.
F this witch of Endor had performed that, which manie conceive of the matter, it might have beene compared with the raising up of Lazarus.An ironicall collation. I praie you, is not the converting of water into milke, as hard a matter as the turning of water into wine? And yet, as you may read in the gospell, that Christ did the one, as his first miracle; so may you read in M. Mal.Mal. malef. par. 2. quæ. 1. cap. 14. and in Bodin, that witches can easilie doo the other: yea, and that which is a great deale more, of water they can make butter. But to avoid all cavils, and least there should appeare more matter in Christs miracle, than the others, you shall find in M. Mal. that they can change water into wine: and what is it to attribute to/155. a creature, the power and worke of the creator, if this be not? Christ saith, Opera quæ ego facio nemo potest facere.Acts. 17.
Tim. 6, 13.
Col. 1, 16.
Athanas. symbol. Creation of substance was never granted to man nor angell; Ergo neither to/114. witch nor divell: for God is the onlie giver of life and being, and by him all things are made, visible and invisible.
Finallie, this woman of Endor is in the scripture called Pythonissa: whereby it may appeare that she was but a verie cousener. For Pytho himselfe, whereof Pythonissa is derived, was a counterfet. And the originall storie of Apollo,Apollo Pytho uncased. who was called Pytho, bicause he killed a serpent of that name, is but a poeticall fable. For the poets saie he was the god of musicke, physicke, poetrie, and shooting. In heaven he is called Sol, in earth Liber pater, in hell Apollo. He florisheth alwaies with perpetuall youth, and therefore he is painted without a beard: his picture was kept as an oracle-giver: and the preests that attended thereon at Delphos were couseners, and called Pythonists of Pytho, as papists of Papa; and afterwards all women that used that trade, were named Pythonissæ, as was this woman of Endor. But bicause it concerneth this matter, I will breefelie note the opinions of divers learned men, and cer- teine other proofes, which I find in the scripture touching the ceasing of miracles, prophesies and oracles.//