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CHAP. XLVIII.
Of Witchcraft.
BUt to return to Magick, a part of which is the de∣lusion of Witchcraft, that is to say, of delusions that are onely made in outward appearance, such as are the Phantasms and Miracles dayly wrought by com∣mon Juglers; which is not so much perform'd by Geo∣tick Inchantments, and Imprecations, and Fallacies of Spirits, but by Fumigations, Lights, Philters, Colly∣ries, binding and hanging of Phylacteries and Charms to the parts of the body, Rings, Images, Glasses, and like devices of Magick Arts. Many things are per∣form'd by Agility and slight of hand, as we see done by Players and Juglers; which are therefore by some call'd Hand-philosophers, or Chirosophi. Of this Jug∣ling Art there are many Treatises extant, written by Her∣mes and others. We read of one Pas•tes a Jugler that was wont to shew a great Banquet to an abundance of Guests sitting thereat, which when he pleas'd he caus'd to vanish again out of sight, leaving all the Guests a-dry and hungry. Numa Pompilius also made use of these kinde of Prestiges or Witchcrafts: And we read how that the most learned Pythagoras did once ridicu∣lously act an odd business, which was this: That which came into his minde he wrote in a Glass with his Blood, which being held against the Full Moon, what∣ever was written appear'd to him that stood behinde, as if it had been in the body of the Moon. To this, whatsoever is written of the changing of Mens shapes, either believ'd by Poets, related by Historians, or cre∣dited by some of our Divines. Thus some men seem
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to have the shape of Asses or Horses, or other Animals; the Medium Air being disturb'd, or else the Eyes by some Incantation fascinated, such things as these some∣times seem to be done by good and evil Spirits, or else upon the Prayers of good men to God; as we read of Elisha, when Dothan was besieg'd by the Ar∣my of the King of Assyria: but the pure and open sight of God cannot be deceived. Thus the woman, which the people thought to have been a Cow, to Hilarion appear'd to be what she was indeed, a woman. Thus those things which are said to be done by dece∣ption of the sight, are called Praestigia. But the trans∣mutation of shape, as of Nebuch•donozor, or of place, and when the Crop of Corn was remov'd into another field, of these we have spoken before. Now of this Art of Witchcraft Iamblichus thus writes: As to what those persons who are bewitch'd imagine, they have no other certainty of the truth of the essence of the action, but what is barely imaginative: for the end of this Craft is not to do things simply, but to extend i∣magination to appearance, and then on a sudden to remove all signe of any thing. Out of all that hath been said, we must resolve, that Magick is but a mix∣ture of Idolatry, Astrology, and superstitious Physick: And indeed there are a great croud of Hereticks that dayly increase in the Church, who with their first ar∣guments and foundations from these Magitians, who as Jannes and Jambres contradicted Moses, so do they resist the truth. The Ringleader of these, was Simon the Samaritan, who at Rome, under Claudius Caesar, was honour'd with a Statue, for his excellency in this Art, with this Inscription, To Simon the Holy God: Whose Blasphemies are sufficiently related by Clement, Eusebius, and Irenaeus. From the Positions of this Simon, as from a Seminary of all Heresie, sprung those monstrous Ophites, those shameful Gnosticks, Cerdoni∣ans,
Page 128
Martionists, Montanians, and many other He∣reticks, for gain and vain-glories sake, lying before God; yet bringing neither profit nor advantage to Men, but leading them into Error and Perdition; whose believers and admirers, the Judgment of God shall over∣take. 'Tis true, that being young, I wrote three Books of Magick my self, which I Entitled, Of Oc∣cult Philosophy; in which, what Errors soever I then committed in my Youth, now grown more wary, I do publickly Recant, as having formerly spent too much time in those Vanities. This advantage I got, that now I know by what Reasons to Convince others of the Ruine which those Vanities will lead them into. For while they presume to Prophesie, and Divine, not in the Truth of God, but according to the Opera∣tions of Evil Spirits, and boast themselves the Wor∣kers of Miracles, not ceasing while they live, and Act by the means of Magick, Vanities, Exorcisms, Incan∣tations, Love-potions, and other Demoniacal Operati∣ons, they are all with Jannes and Jambres, and Si∣mon Magus, Destin'd to the Eternal Torments of Hell-Fire.
Of Witchcraft.
BUt to return to Magick, a part of which is the de∣lusion of Witchcraft, that is to say, of delusions that are onely made in outward appearance, such as are the Phantasms and Miracles dayly wrought by com∣mon Juglers; which is not so much perform'd by Geo∣tick Inchantments, and Imprecations, and Fallacies of Spirits, but by Fumigations, Lights, Philters, Colly∣ries, binding and hanging of Phylacteries and Charms to the parts of the body, Rings, Images, Glasses, and like devices of Magick Arts. Many things are per∣form'd by Agility and slight of hand, as we see done by Players and Juglers; which are therefore by some call'd Hand-philosophers, or Chirosophi. Of this Jug∣ling Art there are many Treatises extant, written by Her∣mes and others. We read of one Pas•tes a Jugler that was wont to shew a great Banquet to an abundance of Guests sitting thereat, which when he pleas'd he caus'd to vanish again out of sight, leaving all the Guests a-dry and hungry. Numa Pompilius also made use of these kinde of Prestiges or Witchcrafts: And we read how that the most learned Pythagoras did once ridicu∣lously act an odd business, which was this: That which came into his minde he wrote in a Glass with his Blood, which being held against the Full Moon, what∣ever was written appear'd to him that stood behinde, as if it had been in the body of the Moon. To this, whatsoever is written of the changing of Mens shapes, either believ'd by Poets, related by Historians, or cre∣dited by some of our Divines. Thus some men seem
Page 127
to have the shape of Asses or Horses, or other Animals; the Medium Air being disturb'd, or else the Eyes by some Incantation fascinated, such things as these some∣times seem to be done by good and evil Spirits, or else upon the Prayers of good men to God; as we read of Elisha, when Dothan was besieg'd by the Ar∣my of the King of Assyria: but the pure and open sight of God cannot be deceived. Thus the woman, which the people thought to have been a Cow, to Hilarion appear'd to be what she was indeed, a woman. Thus those things which are said to be done by dece∣ption of the sight, are called Praestigia. But the trans∣mutation of shape, as of Nebuch•donozor, or of place, and when the Crop of Corn was remov'd into another field, of these we have spoken before. Now of this Art of Witchcraft Iamblichus thus writes: As to what those persons who are bewitch'd imagine, they have no other certainty of the truth of the essence of the action, but what is barely imaginative: for the end of this Craft is not to do things simply, but to extend i∣magination to appearance, and then on a sudden to remove all signe of any thing. Out of all that hath been said, we must resolve, that Magick is but a mix∣ture of Idolatry, Astrology, and superstitious Physick: And indeed there are a great croud of Hereticks that dayly increase in the Church, who with their first ar∣guments and foundations from these Magitians, who as Jannes and Jambres contradicted Moses, so do they resist the truth. The Ringleader of these, was Simon the Samaritan, who at Rome, under Claudius Caesar, was honour'd with a Statue, for his excellency in this Art, with this Inscription, To Simon the Holy God: Whose Blasphemies are sufficiently related by Clement, Eusebius, and Irenaeus. From the Positions of this Simon, as from a Seminary of all Heresie, sprung those monstrous Ophites, those shameful Gnosticks, Cerdoni∣ans,
Page 128
Martionists, Montanians, and many other He∣reticks, for gain and vain-glories sake, lying before God; yet bringing neither profit nor advantage to Men, but leading them into Error and Perdition; whose believers and admirers, the Judgment of God shall over∣take. 'Tis true, that being young, I wrote three Books of Magick my self, which I Entitled, Of Oc∣cult Philosophy; in which, what Errors soever I then committed in my Youth, now grown more wary, I do publickly Recant, as having formerly spent too much time in those Vanities. This advantage I got, that now I know by what Reasons to Convince others of the Ruine which those Vanities will lead them into. For while they presume to Prophesie, and Divine, not in the Truth of God, but according to the Opera∣tions of Evil Spirits, and boast themselves the Wor∣kers of Miracles, not ceasing while they live, and Act by the means of Magick, Vanities, Exorcisms, Incan∣tations, Love-potions, and other Demoniacal Operati∣ons, they are all with Jannes and Jambres, and Si∣mon Magus, Destin'd to the Eternal Torments of Hell-Fire.