That it is a shame for papists to beleeve other conjurors dooings, their owne being of so litle force, Hipocrates his opinion herein.
ND still me thinks papists (of all others) which indeed are most credulous, and doo most mainteine the force of witches charmes, and of conjurors cousenages, should perceive and judge conjurors dooings to be void of effect. For when they see their owne stuffe, as holie water, salt, candles, &c: conjured by their holie bishop and preests; & that in the words of consecration or conjuration (for so** To wit, Vincent. dominica in albis: in octa. pasch. sermone. 15.
Durand. de exorcist. their owne doctors terme them) they adjure the water, &c: to heale, not onelie the soules infirmitie, but also everie maladie, hurt, or ach of the bodie; and doo also command the candles, with the force of all their authoritie and power, and by the effect of all their holie words, not to consume: and yet neither soule nor bodie anie thing recover, nor the candles last one minute the longer: with what face can they defend the others miraculous workes; as though the witches and conjurors actions were more effectuall than their owne? Hippocrates being but a heathen, and not having the perfect knowledge of God, could see and perceive their cousenage and knaverie well enough, who saith; They which boast so, that they can remoove or helpe the infections of diseases, with sacrifices, conjurations, or other magicall instruments or meanes, are but needie fellowes, wanting living; and therefore referre their words to the divell: bicause they would seeme to know somewhat more than the common people. It is marvell that papists doo affirme, that their holie water, crosses, or bugges words have such vertue and violence, as to drive awaie divels: so as they dare not approch to anie place or person besmeered with such stuffe; when as it appeareth in the gospell, that the divell presumed to assault and tempt Christ himselfe. For the divell indeed most ernestlie busieth him/selfe451. to seduce the godlie: as for the wicked, he maketh reckoning and just accompt of them, as of his owne alreadie. But let us go forward in our refutation./
The xxxi. Chapter.326.
How conjurors have beguiled witches, what bookes they carie about to procure credit to their art, wicked assertions against Moses and Joseph.
HUS you see that conjurors are no small fooles. For whereas witches being poore and needie, go from doore to doore for releefe, have they never so manie todes or cats at home, or never so much hogs doong and charvill*[* See p. 117.] about them, or never so manie charmes in store: these conjurors (I saie) have gotten them offices in the church of Rome, wherby they haveA fowle offense to backbite ye absent, & to beelie the dead. obteined authoritie & great estimation. And further, to adde credit to that art, these conjurors carrie about at this daie, bookes intituled under the names of Adam, Abel, Tobie, & Enoch; which Enoch they repute the most divine fellow in such matters. They have also among them bookes that they saie Abraham, Aaron and Salomon made. Item they have bookes of Zacharie, Paule, Honorius, Cyprian, Jerome, Jeremie, Albert, and Thomas: also of the angels, Riziel, Razael, and Raphael; and these doubtlesse were such bookes as were said to have beene burnt in the lesser Asia.Acts. 19. And for their further credit they boast, that they must be and are skilfull and learned in these arts; to wit, Ars Almadell, ars Notoria, ars Bulaphiæ, ars Arthephii, ars Pomenar,†[† ? Pomonæ] ars Revelationis, &c. Yea, these conjurors in corners sticke not (with Justine)Just. lib. 16. to report and affirme, that Joseph, who was a true figure of Christ that delivered and redeemed us, was learned in these arts, and thereby prophesied and expounded dreames: and that those arts came from him to Moses, and finallie from Moses to them: which thing both PliniePlin. lib. 30. cap. 2.
Strab. lib. 16. and Tacitus affirme of Moses. Also Strabo in his cosmographie maketh the verie like blasphemous report. And likewise Apollonius,/452. Molon, Possidonius, Lisimachus, and Appian terme Moses both a magician and a conjuror: whom Eusebius confuteth with manie notable arguments. For Moses differed as much from a magician, as truth from falshood, and pietie from vanitie: for in truth, he confounded all magicke, and made the world see, and the cunningest magicians of the earth confesse, that their owne dooings were but illusions, and that his miracles were wrought by the finger of God. But that the poore old witches knowledge reacheth thus farre (as Danæus Dan. in dialog. de sortiariis. affirmeth it dooth) is untrue: for their furthest fetches that I can comprehend, are but to fetch a pot of milke, &c: from their neighbors house, halfe a mile distant from them./
The xxxii. Chapter.327.
All magicall arts confuted by an argument concerning Nero, what Cornelius Agrippa and Carolus Gallus have left written thereof, and prooved by experience.
