¶ The fourth Booke. 73. 85.
The first Chapter.
Of witchmongers opinions concerning evill spirits, how they frame themselves in more excellent sort than God made us.
AMES SPRENGER and Henrie Institor, in M. Mal. Mal. malef. par. 2. cap. 4 quæst. 1.agreing with Bodin, Barth. Spineus, Danæus, Erastus, Hemingius, and the rest, doo make a bawdie discourse; labouring to proove by a foolish kind of philosophie, that evill spirits cannot onlie take earthlie forms and shapes of men; but also counterfeit hearing, seeing, &c: and likewise, that they can eate and devoure meats, and also reteine, digest, and avoid the same: and finallie, use diverse kinds of activities, but speciallie excell in the use and art of venerie. For M. Mal. saith, that The eies and earesIf his bodilie eies were out, he would see but ilfavoredlie. of the mind are farre more subtill than bodilie eies or carnall eares. Yea it is there affirmed, that as they take bodies, and the likenesse of members; so they take minds and similitudes of their operations. But by the way, I would have them answer this question. Our minds and soules are spirituall things. If our corporall eares be stopped, what can they heare or conceive of anie externall wisedome? And truelie, a man of such a constitution of bodie, as they imagine of these spirits, which make themselves, &c: were of farre more excellent substance, &c: than the bodies of them that God made in paradise; and so the divels workmanship should excexed the handie worke of God the father and creator of all things./
The second Chapter.74.
Of bawdie Incubus and Succubus, and whether the action of venerie may be performed betweene witches and divels, and when witches first yeelded to Incubus.
ERETOFORE (they saie) IncubusNider in fornicario.
T. Brabant in lib. de apib. was faine to ravish women against their will, untill Anno. 1400: but now since that time witches consent willinglie to their desires: in so much as some one witch exerciseth that trade of lecherie with Incubus twentie or thirtie yeares togither; as was confessed by fourtie and eight witches burned at Ravenspurge. But what goodlie fellowes Incubus begetteth upon these witches, is prooved by Thomas of Aquine,In. sen. dist. 4. art. 4. Bodin, M. Mal. Hyperius, &c.