The Discoverie of Witchcraft

by Reginald Scot

In summe, this word [Spirit] dooth signifie a secret force and power, wherewith our minds are mooved and directed; if unto holie things, then is it the motion of the holie spirit, of the spirit of Christ and of God: if unto evill things, then is it the suggestion of the wicked spirit, of the divell, and of satan.A question. Whereupon I inferre, by the waie of a question, with what spirit we are to suppose such to be mooved, as either practise anie of the vanities treated upon in this booke, or through credulitie addict themselves thereunto as unto divine oracles, or the voice of angels breakeing through the clouds? We cannot impute this motion unto/548. the good spirit; for then they should be able to An answer.discerne betweene the nature of spirits, and not swarve in judgement: it followeth therefore, that the spirit of blindnes and error dooth seduce them; so that it is no mervell if in the alienation of their minds they take falsehood for truth, shadowes for substances, fansies for verities, &c: for it is likelieA great likelihood no doubt. that the good spirit of God hath forsaken them, or at leastwise absented it selfe from them: else would they detest these divelish devises of men, which consist of nothing but delusions and vaine practises, whereof (I suppose) this my booke to be a sufficient discoverie.

Judgement distinguished.It will be said that I ought not to judge, for he that judgeth shalbe judged. Whereto I answer, that judgement is to be understood of three kind of actions in their proper nature; whereof the first are secret, and the judgement of them shall apperteine to God, who in time will disclose what so ever is done in covert, and that by his just judgement. The second are mixed actions, taking part of hidden and part of open, so that by reason of their uncerteintie and doubtfulnes they are discussable and to be tried; these after due examination are to have their competent judgement, and are incident to the magistrate. The third are manifest and/393. evident, and such as doo no lesse apparentlie shew themselves than an inflammation of bloud in the bodie: and of these actions everie private man giveth judgement, bicause they be of such certeintie, as that of them a man may as well conclude, as to gather, that bicause the sunne is risen in the east, Ergo*[* Ital.] it is morning: he is come about and is full south, Ergo* it is high noone; he is declining and closing up in the west, Ergo* it is evening. So that the objection is answered.

Howbeit, letting this passe, and spirituallie to speake of this spirit, which whiles manie have wanted, it hath come to passe that they have prooved altogether carnall; & not savouring heavenlie divinitie have tumbled into worsse than philosophicall barbarisme:* Josias Simlerus li. 4. ca. 5. adversus veteres & novos Antitrinitarios, &c. & these be such as of writers are called Pneumatomachi, a sect so injurious to the holie spirit of God, that contemning the sentence of Christ, wherein he foretelleth that the sinne against the holie spirit is never to be pardoned, neither in this world nor in the world to come, they doo not onelie denie him to be God, but also pull from him all being, and with the Sadduces main/teine549. there is none such; but that under and by the name of holie spirit is ment a certeine divine force, wherewith our minds are mooved, and the grace and favour of God whereby we are his beloved. Against these shamelesse enimies of the holie spirit, I will not use materiall weapons, but syllogisticall charmes. And first I will set downe some of their paralogysmes or false arguments; and upon the necke of them inferre fit confutations grounded upon sound reason and certeine truth.

1. Objectiō. The scripture dooth never call the holie spirit God.Their first argument is knit up in this manner. The holie spirit is no where expresselie called God in the scriptures; Ergo he is not God, or at leastwise he is not to be called God. The antecedent of this argument is false; bicause the holie spirit hath the title or name of God in the fift of the Acts. * The first answer. A refutation of the antecedent, &c.Againe, the consequent is false. For although he were not expresselie called God, yet should it not therupon be concluded that he is not verie God; bicause unto him are attributed all the properties of God, which unto this doo equallie belong. And as we denie not that the father is the true light, although it be not directlie written of the father, but of the sonne; He was the true light giving light to everie man that cōmeth into this world: so likewise it is not to be denied, that the spirit is God, although the scripture dooth not expresselie and simplie note it; sithence it ascribeth equall things thereunto; as the properties of God, the works of God, the service due to GOD, and that it dooth interchangeablie take the names of Spirit and of God oftentimes. They therefore that see these things attributed unto the holie spirit, and yet will not suffer him to be called by the name of God; doo as it were refuse to grant unto Eve the name of Homo,†[† Ital.] whome notwithstanding they confesse to be a creature reasonable and mortall.

The second reason is this. Hilarie2. Objectiō. Hilarie doth not call the spirit God, neither is he so named in the common collects. in all his twelve bookes of the Trinitie dooth no where write that the holie spirit is to be worshipped; he never giveth therunto the name of God, neither dares he otherwise pronounce thereof, than that it is the spirit of God. Besides this, there are usuall praiers of the church commonlie called the Collects, whereof some are made to the father, some to the sonne, but none to the holie spirit; and/395[4]. yet in them all mention is made of the three persons. *Hereunto* The 2. answer. I answer, that although Hilarie dooth not openlie call the holie spirit, God:/550. yet doth he constantly denie it to be a creature. Now if any aske me why Hilarie was so coie & nice to name the holie spirit, God, whom he denieth to be a creature, when as notwithstanding betweene God and a creature there is no meane: I will in good sooth saie what I thinke. I suppose that Hilarie, Hilarius lib. 12. de Triade for himselfe, thought well of the godhead of the holie spirit: but this opinion was thrust and forced upon him of the Pneumatomachi, who at that time rightlie deeming of the sonne did erwhiles joine themselves to those that were sound of judgement. There is also in the ecclesiasticall historie a little booke which they gave Liberius a bishop of Rome, whereinto they foisted the Nicene creed. And that Hilarie was a freend of the Pneumatomachi, it is perceived in his booke De synodis, where he writeth in this maner;The place is long, and therefore I had rather referre the reader unto the booke than heere to insert so many lines. Nihil autem mirum vobis videri debet, fratres charissimi, &c: It ought to seeme no wonder unto you deere brethren, &c. As for the objection of the praiers of the church called the collects, that in them the holie spirit is not called upon by name: we oppose and set against them the songs of the church, wherein the said spirit is called upon. But the collects are more ancient than the songs, hymnes, and anthems. I will not now contend about ancientnesse, neither will I compare songs and collects togither; but I say thus much onelie, to wit, that in the most ancient times of the church the holie spirit hath beene openlie called upon in the congregation. Now if I be charged to give an instance, let this serve. In the collect upon trinitie sundaie it is thus said: Almightie and everlasting God,Collecta in die domin. sanctæ Trinit. which hast given unto us thy servants grace by the confession of a truth to acknowledge the glorie of the eternall trinitie, and in the power of the divine Majestie to worship the unitie: we beseech thee that thorough the stedfastnesse of this faith, we may evermore be defended from all adversitie, which livest and reignest one God world without end. Now bicause that in this collect, where the trinitie is expresselie called upon, the names of persons are not expressed; but almightie and everlasting God invocated, who abideth in trinitie and unitie; it doth easilie appeare elsewhere also that the persons being not named, under the name of almightie and everlasting God, not onelie the father*[* ? is] to be understood, but God which abideth in trinitie and unitie, that is the father, the sonne, and the Holie-ghost./

551.A third objection of theirs is this.3. Objectiō. The spirit is not to be praied unto but the father onlie. The sonne of GOD oftentimes praieng in the gospels, speaketh unto the father, promiseth the holie spirit, and dooth also admonish the apostles to praie unto the heavenlie father, but yet in the name of the sonne. Besides that, he prescribeth them this forme of praier: Our father which art in heaven. Ergo†[† Ital.] the father onlie is to be called upon, and consequentlie the father onelie is that one and verie true God, of whome it is written; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onelie shalt thou serve.

*Whereto* 3. Answer. The consequent is denied. I answer first by denieng the consequent; The sonne praied to the father onelie, Ergo[B] the father onlie is of us also to be praied unto. For the sonne of GOD is distinguished of us both in person and in office: he as a mediator maketh intercession for us to the father: and although the/395. sonne and the holie spirit doo both togither receive and take us into favour with God; yet is he said to intreat the father for us; bicause the father is the fountaine of all counsels & divine works. Furthermore, touching the forme of praieng prescribed of Christ, it is not necessarie that the fathers name shuld personallie be there taken, sith there is no distinction of persons made: but by the name of father indefinitelie we understand God or the essence of God, the father, the son, and the Holie-ghost. For this name hath not alwaies a respect unto the generation of the sonne of God; but God is called the father of the faithfull, bicause of his gratious and free adopting of them, the foundation whereof is the sonne of God, in whom we be adopted: but yet so adopted, that not the father onelie receiveth us into his favour; but with him also the sonne and the holy spirit dooth the same. Therefore when we in the beginning of praier doo advertise our selves of Gods goodnesse towards us; we doo not cast an eie to the father alone, but also to the sonne, who gave us the spirit of adoption; and to the holie spirit, in whom we crie Abba, Father. And if so be that invocation and praier were restreined to the father alone, then had the saints doone amisse, in calling upon, invocating, and praieng to the sonne of God, and with the sonne the holy spirit, in baptisme, according to the forme by Christ himselfe assigned and delivered.

Another objection is out of the fourth of Amos,[Am. 4, 13.] in this maner. For lo it is I that make the thunder, and create the spirit, and/552. shew unto men their Christ,4. Objectiō. Amos saith that the spirit was created. making the light and the clouds, and mounting above the hie places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is his name. Now bicause it is read in that place, Shewing unto men their Christ; the Pneumatomachi contended that these words are to be understood of the holie spirit.

*But* 4. Answer. Spirit in this place signifieth wind. Ambrose in his booke De spiritu sancto, lib. 2. cap. 7. doth rightlie answer, that by spirit in this place is ment the wind: for if the prophets purpose and will had beene to speake of the holie spirit, he would not have begunne with thunder, nor have ended with light and clouds. Howbeit, the same father saith; If anie suppose that these words are to be drawne unto the interpretation of the holie spirit, bicause the prophet saith, Shewing unto men their Christ; he ought also to draw these words unto the mysterie of the Lords incarnation: and he expoundeth thunder to be the words of the Lord, and spirit to be the reasonable and perfect soule. But the former interpretation is certeine and convenient with the words of the prophet, by whom there is no mention made of Christ; but the power of God is set foorth in his works. Behold (saith the prophet) he that formeth the mountaines, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, which maketh the morning darknesse, and walketh upon the hie places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is his name. In this sort SantesTo create is not him to be made that was not. a right skilfull man in the Hebrew toong translateth this place of the prophet. But admit this place were written of the holie spirit, & were not appliable either to the wind or to the Lords incarnation: yet doth it not follow that the holie spirit is a creature; bicause this word of Creating doth not alwaies signifie a making of something out of nothing; as EusebiusEuseb. Cæsariens. li. 3. adversus Marcellum. in expounding these words (The Lord created me in the beginning of his waies) writeth thus. The prophet in the person of God,/396. saieng; Behold I am he that made the thunder, and created the spirit, and shewed unto men their Christ: this word Created is not so to be taken, as that it is to be concluded thereby, that the same was not before. For God hath not so created the spirit, sithence by the same he hath shewed & declared his Christ unto all men. Neither was it a thing of late beginning under the sonne: but it was before all beginning, and was then sent, when the apostles were gathered togither, when a sound like thunder came/553. from heaven, as it had beene the comming of a mightie wind: this word Created being used for sent downe, for appointed, ordeined, &c: and the word thunder signifieng in another kind of maner the preaching of the gospels. The like saieng is that of the Psalmist, A cleane hart create in me O God: wherein he praied not as one having no hart, but as one that had such a hart as needed purifieng, as needed perfecting: & this phrase also of the scripture, That he might create two in one new man; that is, that he might joine, couple, or gather together, &c.

5. Objectiō. All things were made by the son, Ergo the spirit was also made by him.Furthermore, the Pneumatomachi by these testimonies insuing endevor to proove the holie spirit to be a creature. Out of John the 1. chap. By this word were all things made, and without it nothing was made. Out of 1. Cor. 8. Wee have one God the father, even he from whome are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whome are all things, and we by him. Out of the 1. Coloss. By him were all things made, things in heaven, and things in earth, visible and invisible, &c. Now if al things were made by the sonne, it followeth that by him the holie spirit was also made.