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

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.

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$(L^'Dijcourle of fVitchcrafL ■' J -J --- he fliali prcfcribc for tlhitpiirpofc rand roa na-. turall man there is no greater mcane chan this to make hi in joyne fockry- wkh the dcvill, Hcc therefoi-ewkhouc any further doubting or* de¬ liberation, coiidcfccnds toSataT), fo a s he may be eafrd and rciccvcd in thefc mileries, <-• . Againc^wearccoconfiderjthatiiuherecafcs th c devil! getceth the greater hold of man^ ai id moves him to yecld unto his figgeffions the rather, bccaufcthat which he promifethto doe ^orhimis prefent and at his command, and therefore certaine; whereas the thing to be per- fbrrncd on the behalfeof che party himlclfc,- as the giving of body and lbiik,6cc. is to'comc fundryycares after, and therefore in regard of the particular timc,uncertainc.Now the natural man not regarding his future and finaU eftate, preferres the preient commodity before the loflc and puniftimcncthat is to come a farre off and thereby )s pcrftvaded to yccid himfclfe un¬ to Satan. And by thefe and fuch like antecedents are many brought to make open league -with tkcdcviiL ^ The ftcrct atid dole league betweene the Witch and Satan is thac,whcrcin they mutually give confent each to other, but yet without a iworne covenant conceived in expreffe words and conference. Of this thci/ bee two deerrees ; Firft,when aman ufeth fiiperftitiousformes of prayer,-wherein bee exprefiely rc<^/lrcrh the helpe of the devill, without any kwrciott of fblcmne words or covenafit going before. this is a kind of compact it is plainc, becaufc herein there is a mutuall under-hahd confbnt betweenethe party and tlic dcvill, though it be not manifeif. For when a man is contact to ufe fuperditious formes of invbcacioh/or heipe in time of need ; by the very iihng of chei-n, his heartconfenterhp Satan, and he w’culdoladly have the thing effegfcd.Whcn chcrforc the devil hath notice oi rhem, and endevoureth to efted the thing prayed for, therem alfo he gives con. lent; fo as though there be no exprefie words of compad oiitwardlyftamcdon both parts, yet the concurrence of a mutual! confent for the bringingtopalTc of the fame things, makes the covcrisnrauthenticall. For according to the re¬ ceived rules of equity and reafon, mutual] con- fcnc of party with party, jg fufiicicnc to make a bargainc,thoGgh there beno folemnecourfe or forme of words to manifeO: the lame to others. The fecond degree is, when a man iifcthfu^ pcrffiuousmcanes tobnngany thing to paffe, which in his ownc knowledge, have no fuch vertuc in rhemfelvcs to effedf it, without the c- Ipcciall operation of the dcvill. Superltitiousmeancsl call all thofe, which neither by Older of creatian,nor by the fpcciall \ appointment and bic/ling of God iince have any vert'uern them, to-bring to paife that thing for which they arc ufai.,For exampk;A charme conhfting offet words and fyllabl,cs,both rude, baibarOliSjand unknownc, uled for the curin© I - - r--1-*— I- -- -I -- ---f - - - —f - - - -- andtlclivcranccjifthcy willurclTich meancs,as ) A) of ibme dilcafe or painc, is a hitTcifricrous' ru^n .1 .. i. mcaiits * bccaule it hath no veitue hi irfclfcrb cure, cither by the gift of (*od in the Ci ci:ion, i or by any ipeciall appointment aftmvard in his ^ word or otherwift! And therefore when this { mcaneis ufedby man, which lie knoweth liath ! no fuch vertne in it, for the of thui W'crkc foi which it w^as ufed, there is a ftcien _•!. .-1 T ^ B D Icaguemadc with tiiecfcviif. Yet hctc ladflcthis chufh^/v/ju ‘ ‘fdge, to put a diftcicnee be-t vveciic liicii^ which ■. ufciiipcrllkious recancs to bring Idmc tliinos to paiic: for fomc there bee whici! when th?\r ufe them, know they bemecrely ruoer/titiotis j yca,wcake andrmpotenr, having no vertut itr' themfclvcs tor che purpofe whereto they a-c ufed ; as the repeatiti!- of certaine formes, ofj words; tlKufingofhgncf, diaraiWand ff- gurcs, which m efthetare meerccharmes no t whit cficftuall in themfeivcs, but fo farre forth as they ferve for watchwords unto Satan,with- > put whoft aid nothing is done by them. A t plainc argumentthat the iiierhereof hath iii hi? hcaitlecretly indented wit!) S3t.in, for theac- compliflimcnt of his intended workes. Afe-f cond fort there is, which ufeth them for fomc ifieciall end, being petftvaded that there i,s ver- tucin thc mcancstlicmielveSto briiio t.hc thing topafli^aiidycrnocknovvingthatcithertl'cybd iirperftitious,or have their efficacy by the coCVcr and workc of thy devill. Sucl/peLts^havc made as yet no league with Satan, but they, are M the high way thereunto. And thiscoiiiliis .a ( fit ptPparation to caule them tojoyne with him ' m covenant. I fiicvvitby an example. A man is fallen into fome extremity, and findes himiclfo bewitched; bis paine is great, and hec dcfirca with all his heart to be curctl and delivered • Hereupon he Icndeth forthe fulpeded Witch • being come, bee offers tofcratch him or he/ thinking by this mcancs to bee cured of the Witchcraft, blis reafon is no ether than a ftrong ptrfwafiotvhat there is fimply vertne ju his feratching to cure him', a.nd diicover the Witch, not once fuljiecting that the belpc commeth by tliepower ofthc Devill, burfiom the adion it fclfo. This doing, he may bee hca led; but the truth is, heefimiech and break^'- Gods commandement. Forthe ufin^ ofth-fi meancsis plaineWitcliciaft, as affenvard we ffiallfec. And yet for afl this, the party cannot be (aid m prclent to have made a league with Satan,bccai!fe he thought,that thourrh^he ye-l ded rotheufooffupetftitious mcMcs for his curing, yettliere hadbin in the Hid meaner a verrue ol healing, Without any helpe or worke of the devil L CHAP. III. Of the {tnc/s offVitckrafL Mdfirfi ^ Witchcraft U_of two forts;Di^m,v or mr- k>»g. For the whole nature ofthis att,confifieth$