The second Chapter.
The place of Deuteronomie expounded, wherin are recited all kind of witches; also their opinions confuted, which hold that they can worke such miracles as are imputed unto them.
HE greatest and most common objection is, that if there were not some, which could worke such miraculous or supernaturall feats,Deut. 18. 10. 11. by themselves, or by their divels, it should not have beene said; Let none be found among you, that maketh his sonne or his daughter to go through the fier, or that useth witchcraft, or is a regarder of times, or a marker of the flieng of fowles, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or that counselleth with spirits, or a soothsaier, or that asketh counsell of the dead, or (as some translate it)/114. that raiseth the dead. But as there is no one place in the scripture that saith they can worke miracles, so it shalbe easie to proove, that these were all couseners, everie one abusing the people in his/ severall86. kind; and are accurssed of God. Not that they can doo all such things indeed, as there is expressed; but for that they take upon them to be the mightie power of God, and to doo that which is the onelie worke of him, seducing the people, and blaspheming the name of God,Esay. 42, 8.
Ps. 24. 8. 10. who will not give his glorie to anie creature, being himselfe the king of glorie and omnipotencie.
First I aske, what miracle was wrought by their passing through the fier? Trulie it cannot be prooved that anie effect followed; but that the people were bewitched, to suppose their sinnes to be purged thereby; as the Spaniards thinke of scourging and whipping themselves. So as Gods power was imputed to that action, and so forbidden as an idolatrous sorcerie. What woonders worketh the regarder of times? What other divell dealeth he withall, than with the spirit of superstition? Doth he not deceive himselfe and others, and therefore is worthilie condemned for a witch? What spirit useth he, which marketh the flieng of fowles? Nevertheles, he is here condemned as a practiser of witchcraft; bicause he couseneth the people, and taketh upon him to be a prophet; impiouslie referring Gods certeine ordinances to the flittering fethers and uncerteine waies of a bird. The like effects produceth sorcerie, charming, consultation with spirits, soothsaieng, and consulting with the dead: in everie of the which Gods power is obscured, his glorie defaced, and his commandement infringed.
And to proove that these soothsaiers and witches are but lieng mates and couseners; note these words pronounced by God himselfe, even in the selfe same place to the children of Israell:Deut. 18, 14 Although the Gentiles suffered themselves to be abused, so as they gave eare to these sorcerers, &c: he would not suffer them so, but would raise them a prophet, who should speake the truth. As if he should saie; The other are but lieng and cousening mates, deceitfull and undermining merchants, whose abuses I will make knowne to my people. And that everie one maie be resolved herein, let the last sentence of this precept be well weighed; to wit, Let none be found among you, that asketh counsell of (or rai/seth115. the dead.)
First you know the soulesSap. 3, 1.
Luk. 16, 23. of the righteous are in the hands of God, and resting with Lazarus in Abrahams bosome, doo sleepe in Jesus Christ. And from that sleepe, man shall not be raised, till the heavens be no more: according to this of David:Job. 14, 12.
Psal 88, 10.
Deut. 18, 11.
Luk. 16. 29. 31. Wilt thou shew woonders among the dead? Nay, the Lord saith, The living shall not be taught by the dead, but by the living. As for the unrighteous, they are in hell, where is no redemption; neither is there anie passage from heaven to earth, but by God and his angels.Luk. 16, 22. As touching the resurrection and restauration of the bodie, read John. 5.Joh. 5, 21. and you shall manifestlie see, that it is the onelie worke of the father, who hath given the power therof to the sonne, and to none other, &c. Dominus percutit, & ipse medetur: Ego occidam, & ego vivefaciam.Ose. 6.
Acts. 17. 25. 28.
Tim. 6, 13. And in manie other places it is written, that God giveth life and beeing to all. Although Plato, with his maister Socrates, the cheefe pillers of these vanities, say, that one Pamphilus was called up out of hel, who when he cam among the people, told manie incredible tales concerning infernall actions. But herein I take up the proverbe;/87. Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, sed major amica veritas.
So as this last precept, or last part thereof, extending to that which neither can be done by witch nor divell, maie well expound the other parts and points therof. For it is not ment hereby, that they can doo such things indeed; but that they make men beleeve they doo them, and thereby cousen the people, and take upon them the office of God, and therewithall also blaspheme his holie name, and take it in vaine; as by the words of charmes and conjurations doo appeare, which you shall see, if you looke into these words, Habar and Idoni.
In like manner I saie you may see, that by the prohibition of divinations by augurie, and of soothsaiengs, &c., who are witches, and can indeed doo nothing but lie and cousen the people, the lawe of God condemneth them not, for that they can worke miracles, but bicause they saie they can doo that which perteineth to God,26. quæ. 7. non. obser. fact. 1398. act. 17.
August. de spirit. & anima. cap. 28. and for cousenage, &c. Concerning other points of witchcraft conteined therein, and bicause some cannot otherwise be satisfied, I will alledge under one sentence, the decretals, the mind of S. Augustine, the councell Aurelian, and the determination of/116. Paris, to wit: Who so observeth, or giveth heed unto soothsaiengs, divinations, witchcraft, &c., or doth give credit to anie such, he renounceth christianitie, and shalbe counted a pagane, & an enemie to God; yea and he erreth both in faith and philosophie. And the reason is therewithall expressed in the canon, to wit; Bicause hereby is attributed to a creature, that which perteineth to God onelie and alone. So as, under this one sentence (Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner or a witch to live) is forbidden both murther and witchcraft; the murther consisting in poison; the witchcraft in cousenage or blasphemie.