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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$Secondly, after this examination, the fame A parties muft (liew forth their faith, whereby they depend on the free favour and mcrcicof God tor their deliverance. How may this bee done?by neartie prayer unto Godjoyned with fading that the fame may bee more earned. In which praicr the maine defire of the heart mud be abfoiutely for the pardon ofeheir finnes,and then for deliverance from the hurts and tor¬ ments of diaboiicallpcrfonsryctnot abfoiutely, as for the other, but with this condition/o far- fortn as itdands with Gods glorie, and their owncgood. For thefe arc the bounds and li¬ mits of all temporali good things; ofthem the Lord makes no abfoiute promife, but with thefe conditions and qualifications. Thirdly,thc partiesbevvitched mud patient- [ g ly bearc the prefent annoyance, comforting j Ithcmfclvcj With this, thatic is the Lordsowne j ;hand, by whole fpeciall providence it comes to ! pa{ic,and vyho turncth all things to the good of i hisenofrn. Againe, they arc torerncmbcr,that i .hebeing a mod wife God, and loving father in Chrid, will not fuffer them to be tried above that they bee able to bearc, but in his good time wiir.grarita joyful! idue. Now when the bewitched diall thus fiibmit themfeives unto God, in the erode, be it-that hce (uponfomc caurcs)jdefcrrctheir deliverance, yet they diail not fiiully bje deceived of their hope. For ci- therinthis life, at the appointed time, or in j the end of this life, by death they diall be eter¬ nally delivered, and put ia prefent pofl'eflion of cvcrl^ilingcafe and happincfTc. Thusmuchof the true remedies agaiad Witchcraft, In the next place wee are a lictle to examine thefaiiC and lupcrditiousRemedies,preferibed and ufrdby them ofthe popifh Church. The mod learned Papids of this age doc teach and avouch, that there is in Gods Church an Ordinarie gift,and power, whereby fomc men may cad out devils, and heipe annoyances that come by Witches. The Protcftaiuis of a contrarie judgement, and holdcth according to truth, that there isnowno fiich ordinarie gift left to the Church cf God,fiBcc the daies ofthe Apodks. , Reaions.of this opinion may be thefe. Fird,cafiingout of Devils, and curing fuch r> annoy^t^ccs, arc cxcraordinaricand miraculous vvorkes.For Chrid accounteth handling offrr- pents w iLhoujhurc,rpeaking with new tongues, curi! g ofdifcafes impohcioH of hands, (all which arc things of lefle moment) tobemira- c.cs, Mark. 16.18, ip. but all thefe IcfTcr works, yea, the ordinarie power ofr working them, is ccafcd ; for it was onely given to the Apoffres in the Primitive Church, as amcancs tocon- firmethe doefrrineof the Gofpcli to unbelec- yers, chat never heard of Chriii beforc.So Panl faith. Strange tongues (that is, thcgifcoffpea, king firange languages, without ordinarie tea- ^chii]g)rfr^’ forafigue, not to them that if sleeve \bfit to thept that heleevt not) I Cor. 14. 22! doni And for the lame end were all cxcraordinaric gifts then given. Seeing therefore the do^^lnnc ofthe Golpell hath bccnc aheadie cfiabliibcd, and the truth thereof fufficicntly confirmcrf by miracles in the Primitive Church, the fime gift muff needs ceafe unto us. For if It lliould dill continue, it would call into quefiion the ef- fc6f of the Apodolicall preaching, and implie thus much, that the Gofpell w'asnoc well efra- blifbcd, nor fufficicntly confirmed by their ex- traordinarie Xiinificric, and miracles acconipa- nyingthc fame. Againe, ifchcgifcof workinf^ miracles fhould remaine, then the promife o^} God for his fpccial andextraordinary slfifiance I therein, fiiould yet continue : for the gift and promife goe together; ib long as the promife is in force, lo long is the gifr alfo; but the promife rnadeby Chrifi, Inmjname jhallthey caflout Hi evils.) andfgeakevoith new tongueS)}AiiT]^, 16, was in force onely in theperfons and Minifie- ric ofthe Apoftles,and thofc chat had extraor- dinoric and imiBcdiatecalling from God, and itccafcd when they and their calling ceafed. Therefore if Minifiers now /hou(d Jay their hands on the fickc, they fhould not recover chemrifehey fiiould annoyntthem wnth Oyle, it fhould doe them no go©d, bccaufr they have no promife. Howbeitche Papifis fiaiid ftiffriy indefen- ding the continuance oftbefe gifts. Firfi, they fay, the Church ofthe New' Tc- fiament is nothing inferiour to that ofthe Old. The Jcwifli Church before the commii^g ofl Chrifi, w'asthc Church ofthe Old Tefiamenr, and had the power and gifr of calling out Dc- vils. So faith our Saviour hin-ifelte. Match. 12. ijJfhnreug^h Beeisuehni cafl out‘Devils,then hy whom doe yeur children eafl them out ? In which words hec afenbeth this gifr unto cho Je wes, therefore it fiiouid feeme the fame re- maiuech frill in the Church. That place of Scripture is divcrfly ex¬ pounded. Some by children there mentioned underfrand the Apoftlcs , who were Tew'cs borne, and had received from Chrift this eift and power to caft out Devils. Which ific^eYo it maketh not for them, bccaufc they had it ex¬ traordinarily. But 1 ratherc}unke,that by chib dren, arc meant the Exorcifing Jevyes, before Chrifrs timc,who did cafr out devils amo® the prcrcndiwpnabilific todocchis workemthe nao^cot God ; whercasin truth they wc.cal! flat Sorcerers,and did it by vercuc of a league & compaa made with the Dcvill. Which pia6lice hath bccnc of long continuance, and is at this day common and ufual among the Popifli fort. And that there were fuch Excorcifrs among the Jewes, it is evident. For fuch wcrcthofe Viga- bonds which came to Epheihs.and cookc upon them to caft out devils by the name of hCut and?^«/ Aa.ip. 15. but the man in whom the evdl (pint was, (fo loone as he had adiured therpuit) ranne upon diem, and mightily pre¬ vailed agamrt them, y.id. Now if the} Ld t$