A Discourse of the Damned Art of Witchcraft

p. 1A Discourse of Witchcraft.

Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue.

THis text containeth one of the Iudiciall Lawes of Moses touching the punishment of Witchcraft: which argument I haue chosen to intreat of, for these causes:

First, because Witchcraft is arife and common sinne in these our daies, and very many are intangled with it, beeing either practitioners thereof in their owne persons, or at the least, yeilding to seeke for helpe and counsell of such as practise it.

Againe, there be sundrie men who p. 2receiue it for a truth, that Witchcraft is nothing else but a meere illusion, and Witches nothing but persons deluded by the Deuill: and this opinion takes place not onely with the ignorant, but is holden and maintained by such as are learned, who doe auouch it by word and writing, that there be no witches, but as I said before.

Vpon these and such like considerations, I haue beene mooued to vndertake the Interpretation of this Iudiciall law, as a sufficient ground of the doctrine which shall be deliuered. In handling whereof, two things are distinctly to be considered. The first, what is a Witch. The second, what is her due and deserued punishment. And both these beeing opened and handled, the whole meaning of the law will the better appeare.

For the first. To giue the true descriptiō of a Witch, is a matter of great difficultie, because there be many differences and diuersities of opinions touching this point; and therefore that we may properly and truly define a Witch, p. 3we must first pause a while in opening the nature of Witchcraft, so farre forth as it is deliuered in the bookes of the Old and New Testament, and may be gathered out of the true experience of learned and godly men.

Touching Witchcraft therefore I will consider three points:

I. What witchcraft is.

II. What is the ground of the whole practise thereof.

III. How many kinds and differences there be of it.

Of the Nature of Witchcraft.

TO begin with the first: According to the true meaning of all the places of holy Scripture which treate of this point, it may be thus described:

Witchcraft is a wicked Arte, seruing for the working of wonders, by the assistance p. 4of the Deuill, so farre forth as God shall in iustice permit.

I say it is an Arte, because it is commonly so called and esteemed amongst men, and there is reason why it should be thus tearmed. For as in all good and lawfull arts, the whole practise thereof is performed by certaine rules and precepts, and without them nothing can be done: so Witchcraft hath certaine superstitious grounds and principles whereupon it standeth, and by which alone the seats and practises thereof are commonly performed.

If it be demaunded, what these rules be, and whence they had their beginning, considering that euery Arte hath reference to some author, by whom it was originally taught and deliuered? I answer, that they weare deuised first by Satan, and by him reuealed to wicked and vngodly persons of auncient times, as occasion serued: who receiuing them from him, became afterward, in the iust iudgement of God, his instruments to p. 5report and conuey them to others from hand to hand.

For manifestation whereof, it is to be considered, that God is not onely in generall a Soueraigne Lord and King ouer all his creatures, whether in heauen or earth, none excepted, no not the deuills themselues; but that he exerciseth also a speciall kingdome, partly of grace in the Church militant vpon earth, and partly of glorie ouer the Saints and Angels, members of the Church triumphant in heauen. Now in like manner the Deuill hath a kingdome, called in Scripture the kingdom of darknes, whereof himselfe is the head and gouernour, for which cause he is tearmed [〈◊〉 . 12.] the Prince of darknes, [2. Cor. 〈◊〉 .] the God of this world, ruling and effectually working in the hearts of the children of disobedience.

Againe, as God hath enacted Laws, whereby his kingdome is gouerned, so hath the deuill his ordinances, whereby he keepeth his subiects in awe and obedience, which generally and for substance, are nothing else but transgressions p. 6of the very lawe of God. And amongst thē all, the precepts of Witchcraft are the very chiefe and most notorious. For by them especially he holds vp his kingdome, and therefore more esteemeth the obedience of them, then of other. Neither doth he deliuer them indifferently to euery man, but to his owne subiects, the wicked; and not to them all, but to some speciall and tried ones, whome he most betrusteth with his secrets, as beeing the fittest to serue his turne, both in respect of their willingnesse to learne and practise, as also for their abilitie to become instruments of the mischiefe, which he intendeth to others.

p. 6If it be here asked, whence the deuill did fetch and conceiue his rules? I answer, out of the corruption and deprauation of that great measure of knowledge he once had of God, and of all the duties of his seruice. For that beeing quite depraued by his fall, he turnes the same to the inuenting and deuising of what he is possibly able, against God and his honour. Hereupon, well perceiuing p. 7that God hath expressely commanded to renounce, and abhorre all practises of Whitchcraft, he hath set abroach this art in the world, as a maine pillar of his kingdome, which notwithstanding is flatly and directly opposed to one of the maine principall lawes of the kingdome of God, touching the seruice of himselfe in spirit and truth. [Ioh. 4. • 4.]

Againe, the reason why he conueies these vngodly principles and practises from man to man is, because he finds in experience, that things are farre more welcome and agreeable to the common nature of mankinde, which are taught by man like vnto themselues, then if the deuill should personally deliuer the same to each man in speciall. Hereupon, he takes the course at first to instruct some fewe onely, who beeing taught by him, are apt to conuey that which they know to others. And hence in probabilitie this deuillish trade, had his first originall and continuance.