A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft. So farre forth as it is revealed in the Scriptures and manifested by true experience / framed and delivered by William Perkins in his ordinary course of preaching, and published by Thomas Pickering.

  • William Perkins
Date:
1631
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft. So farre forth as it is revealed in the Scriptures and manifested by true experience / framed and delivered by William Perkins in his ordinary course of preaching, and published by Thomas Pickering. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/68
    ^be Epflle T)edtcatory. ^ 1 Sam.iS. » Platina in Sylv. a.&c. 1 Faftie.tetnpcftum. Bcnno Cardinal. dcSylveft.j.Sc . Grcgor.6. A6t.8-i?. ^ ^ 1 Auguft. Enchiii(i. iSam.at. II,la., Arts invented by himfclfe^ both before and after the times of Daniel the Prophet ': Lahly, the ancient Romans upon a fuperftitious dotage^ never to undertake any bufindfe ofwcdght5??/}irf//f]?/r^t^3 unlefle they had luckie confent and warrant frurn ' the Colleges of their Augurors ereded by Romulus, Thirdly, there is a naturall di- fteniper in the minde of man, iTacwing it felfc in thefe particulars Thathec cannot in-, dure to ftand in fearc of imminent danger; That heelwels inan high conceit of his ownc deferts, cfpccially when hee is in lower eftatc than he would bee; That he will not bearc a wrong done without revenge; That he reils not liicisfied with the meafure ofkaaowledge received, but aifedeth the fearching of things fecret and not revealed. When the minde is poileflcd with thefe troubled paifions, with care to helpe it felfc; then comes die Devill, and miniftreth occafion to ufe unlawfull meanes in the gene- rail j and forceth the minde by continuall fuggeftion, to determine it felfe in particular upon his dwnc crafts. It was the cafe of ^ Saul^ and of ^ Nebuchadnetfar, It caufed ma- :nyof the Heatlien Philofophers, to goe from Athens to Memphis, from Grecia to Syria^ from'men on earth to wicked fpirits in hell, to get more illumination at the hands of the Prince of darkneffe. It moved fundry inale-coatentcd * Priefts of Rome, to afplre unto the chaire of Supremacy, by Diabolicall afliftance; yea, ^ toexercife Magleall Arts when they were Popes; and thereby to manifefl indeed, that they were not the true SuccefforsoP.S'/;»;2(?^P^^er, butheires of the vertiies of simon th\tMa^dSj who bewitched the people of Samaria; and profeffed to doe that by the great power of God, which he wrought by the aid and ailiftanee of the Devill. If any doe thinke it ftrange, that Satan fliould in this fortoppofehimfelfe tothe kingdome of God, andmaintaine hisowne principalitie, by fuch ungodly arts and exercifes; They miift know, that this and all other eviils come to paffe even by the will of God, who hath jiitlly permitted the fame; To ptinilli the wicked for their hor¬ rible finnes.; as Saul for his wickednefle; To avenge himfelfe upon Man for his ingra¬ titude; who having die'<truth revealed unto him, wiU not beleeyeor obey it; To wa¬ ken and miize up the godly , who are fleeping in any great linnes or infirmities r^Laftfy, to try and prove his people, whether they will deave to himahdhis Word, or feeke Deuc.ij.j. unto Satan and wickedfpirits; > ' ^ c . i. . .. Now from thcconfideratiohofthoprdnifesy wfeeVonteU^deltanecefrarie thing for the Church and people of God, tobeeacquainted 'mth'the dealing of Satan in this commcTictxcion \vhereofy above otkers formerly divtil-gefl touching this ATgiimcnr,ap- peareth hereinj that it fervech to the full openirtgartd declaration of S'atans metltodin the groiin’d and' practices of' Witchcraft. Wherem 'among ihany other raiiarkable points, itmaypleafe you to take fpeciall noticebf thefe particulars. I. Tbatthey doe groflyerrei, whoeitherin exprefle tefnies depythat therebce Witches, dr'irieffeft, and by confequent ■, avouching that there is no league betweene them and the Devill; or affirming they can doe no fuch miraculous wotfces as are aferibedtothem. The for- mdfiffiieth plainly Oiitpfthebody of the Difeolirfc. And for the latter- That there is a Covenant betweene them, either explicite in manner andforme, or impliciteby de¬ grees'of fuperlHtious proceeding mtiac ufe of meaftes infufficient in themfelves j is plainly taught andeoofirmedin tlac.fanic. Thai'Witches may and doe workc won¬ ders, is evidently proved: liowbeifhot by an omnipotent power, (as the^gainfaycr hath uniearnedlyandimptoperly termed it) but by the afllftancs of Satan thrirprince, \vho is a ppwerfull fpirit, but yet a creature as weltas they. Arid the wondersvvrought , by them, are not properly and limply miracles, but ivorkes of-Mnder, becaufethey cX- i deedthe ordinary power and capacity of men, efpeeiaUy fuchasare ignorantpf Satans I habilitie, and the hidden caiifcs- mhature, whereby things ate brought to pafie. II. ^.That thc Witch truly convKted, is to be punifhed with death j' the higheft degree of punirtiment andthkf bythe Lawof theequitie wheteof is 'pcrpe_nia1\. Yea, even the better Witch of the two in common reputation, becaufe both are equally ene¬ mies to God and tnie Religion: anditis well kriovvnc by true experience, thatallpro- felTee} Sorcerers are guilty of many moft monftrous impieties. III. That the miTad'es ♦ f ’♦ReginalriScot, cpift.ad Leilorcs. Mira vcl miranda non MirdcuU.