OME have taught, and others have written certeine experiments; in the expressing whereof they have used such words of equivocation, as wherby manie have beene overtaken and abused through/310. rash credulitie: so as sometimes (I saie) they have reported, taught, and written that which their capacitie tooke hold upon, contrarie to the truth and sincere meaning of the author.A jest among watermen touching Stone church in Kent as light at midnight as at middaie. It is a common jest among the water men of the Thames, to shew the parish church of Stone to the passengers, calling the same by the name of the lanterne of Kent; affirming, and that not untrulie, that the said church is as light (meaning in weight and not in brightnes) at midnight, as at noonedaie. Whereupon some credulous person is made beleeve, and will not sticke to affirme and sweare, that in the same church is such continuall light, that anie man may see to read there at all times of the night without a candle.
An excellent philosopher, whome (for reverence unto his fame and learning) I will forbeare to name, was overtaken by his hostesse at Dover; who merrilie told him, that if he could reteine and keepe in his mouth certeine pibbles (lieng at the shore side) he should not perbreake untill he came to Calice, how rough and tempestuous so ever the seas were. Which when he had tried, and being not forced by sicknes to vomit, nor to lose his stones, as by vomiting he must needs doo, he thought his hostesse had discovered unto him an excellent secret, nothing doubting of hir amphibologicall speech: and therefore thought it a worthie note to be recorded among miraculous and medicinable stones; and inserted it accordinglie into his booke, among other experiments collected with great industrie, learning, travell, and judgement. All these toies helpe a subtill cousener/219. to gaine credit with the multitude. Yea, to further their estimation, manie will whisper prophesies of their owne invention into the eares of such as are not of quickest capacitie; as to tell what weather, &c: shall followe. A slender shift to save the credit of their cunning.Which if it fall out true, then boast they and triumph, as though they had gotten some notable conquest; if not, they denie the matter, forget it, excuse it, or shift it off; as that they told another the contrarie in earnest, and spake that but in jest. All these helps might Pharaos jugglers have, to mainteine their cousenages and illusions, towards the hardening of Pharaos hart.
Hereunto belong all maner of charmes, periapts, amulets, characters, and such other superstitions, both popish and prophane: whereby (if that were true, which either papists, conjurors, or wit/ches311. undertake to doo) we might dailie see the verie miracles wrought indeed, which Pharaos magicians seemed to performe. Howbeit, bicause by all those devises or cousenages, there cannot be made so much as a nit, so as Jannes and Jambres could have no helpe that waie, I will speake thereof in place more convenient.
The xvi. Chapter.
How some are abused with naturall magike, and sundrie examples thereof when illusion is added thereunto, of Jacobs pied sheepe, and of a blacke Moore.
UT as these notable and wonderfull experiments and conclusions that are found out in nature it selfe (through wisedome, learning, and industrie) doo greatlie oppose and astonnish the capacitie of man: so (I saie) when deceipt and illusion is annexed thereunto, then is the wit, the faith, & constancie of man searched and tried. The inconvenience of holding opinion, that whatsoever passeth our capacitie, is divine, supernaturall, &c. For if we shall yeeld that to be divine, supernaturall, and miraculous, which we cannot comprehend; a witch, a papist, a conjuror, a cousener, and a juggler may make us beleeve they are gods: or else with more impietie we shall ascribe such power and omnipotencie unto them, or unto the divell, as onelie and properlie apperteineth to God. As for example. By confederacie or cousenage (as before I have said) I may seeme to manifest the secret thoughts of the hart, which (as we learne in Gods booke) none knoweth or searcheth, but God himselfe alone. And therfore, whosoever beleeveth that I can doo as I may seeme to doo, maketh a god of me, and is an idolater. In which respect, whensoever we heare papist, witch, conjuror, or cousener, take upon him more than lieth in humane power to performe, we may know & boldlie saie it is a knacke of knaverie; and no miracle at all. And further we may know, that when we understand it, it will not be woorth the knowing. And at the discoverie of these miraculous toies, we shall leave to wonder at them, and beginne to wonder at our selves, that could be so abused with/312. bables. Howbeit, such things as God hath laid up secretlie in nature are to be weighed with great admiration, and to be searched out with such industrie, as may become a christian man: I meane, so as neither God, nor/220. our neighbour be offended thereby, which respect doubtlesse Jannes and Jambres never had. We find in the scriptures diverse naturall and secret experiments practised; as namelie that of Jacob, for pied sheepe: which are confirmed by prophane authors, and not onelie verified in lambs and sheepe, but in horsses, pecocks, connies, &c. We read also of a woman that brought foorth a yoong blacke Moore, by meanes of an old blacke MooreJ. Bap. Neapol. in natural. mag. who was in hir house at the time of her conception, whome she beheld in phantasie, as is supposed: howbeit, a gelous husband will not be satisfied with such phantasticall imaginations. For in truth a blacke Moore never faileth to beget blacke children, of what colour soever the other be: Et sic è contra.
The xvii. Chapter.
The opinion of witchmongers, that divels can create bodies, and of Pharaos magicians.
