Chapter XXV: Part 25

_I wote not I
What witching eie
Doth use to hant
My tender lams
Sucking their dams
And them inchant,_
♦

_Idque petit corpus, mens unde est saucia amore,
Námque omnes plerúnque cadunt in vulnus, & illam
Emicat in partem sanguis, unde icimur ictu;
Et si cominùs est, os tum ruber occupat humor:_

_And to that bodie tis rebounded,
From whence the mind by love is wounded,
For in a maner all and some,
Into that wound of love doo come,
And to that part the bloud doth flee
From whence with stroke we striken bee,
If hard at hand, and neere in place,
Then ruddie colour filles the face._

♦_Englished by Abraham Fleming._♦

Thus much may seeme sufficient touching this matter of naturall magicke; whereunto though much more may be annexed, yet for the avoiding of tediousnes, and for speedier passage to that which remaineth; I will breake off this present treatise. And now somewhat shall be said concerning divels and spirits in the discourse following.

_A Discourse upon divels and spirits,
and first of philosophers opinions, also the
maner of their reasoning hereupon;[*]
and the same confuted._

♦[*] [This line Ital.]♦

The first Chapter.

There is no question nor theme (saith _Hierome Cardane_) so difficult to deale in, nor so noble an argument to dispute upon, as this of divels and spirits. For that being confessed or doubted of, the eternitie of the soule is either affirmed or denied. The heathen philosophers reson hereof amongest themselves in this sort. First, they that mainteine the perpetuitie of the soule, saie that if the soule died with the bodie; to what end should men take paines either to live well or die well, when no reward for vertue nor punishment for vice insueth after this life, the which otherwise they might spend in ease and securitie? The other sort saie that vertue and honestie is to be pursued, _Non spe præmii, sed virtutis amore_, that is, Not for hope of reward, but for love of vertue. If the soule live ever (saie the other) the least portion of life is here. And therefore we that mainteine the perpetuitie of the soule, may be of the better comfort and courage, to susteine with more constancie the losse of children, yea and the losse of life it selfe: whereas, if the soule were mortall, all our hope and felicitie were to be placed in this life, which manie Atheists (I warrant you) at this daie doo. But both the one and the other missed the cushion. For, to doo anie thing without Christ, is to wearie our selves in vaine; sith in him onelie our corruptions are purged. And therefore the follie of the Gentils, that place _Summum bonum_ in the felicitie of the bodie, or in the happines or pleasures of the mind, is not onelie to be derided, but also abhorred. For, both our bodies and minds are intermedled with most miserable calamities: and therefore therin cannot consist perfect felicitie. But in the word of God is exhibited and offered unto us that hope which is most certeine, absolute, sound & sincere, not to be answered or denied by the judgement of philosophers themselves. For they that preferre temperance before all other things as _Summum bonum_, must needs see it to be but a witnesse of their naturall calamitie, corruption and wickednes; and that it serveth for nothing, but to restraine the dissolutenes, which hath place in their minds infected with vices; which are to be bridled with such corrections: yea and the best of them all faileth in some point of modestie. Wherefore serveth our philosophers prudence, but to provide for their owne follie and miserie; whereby they might else be utterlie overthrowne? And if their nature were not intangled in errors, they should have no need of such circumspection. The justice whereof they speake, serveth but to keepe them from ravine, theft, and violence: and yet none of them all are so just, but that the verie best and uprightest of them fall into great infirmities, both dooing and suffering much wrong and injurie. And what is their fortitude, but to arme them to endure miserie, greefe, danger, and death it selfe? But what happinesse or goodnesse is to be reposed in that life, which must be waited upon with such calamities, and finallie must have the helpe of death to finish it? I saie, if it be so miserable, why doo they place _Summum bonum_ therein? S. _Paule_ to the _Romans_ sheweth, that it cannot be that we should atteine to justice, through the morall and naturall actions and duties of this life: bicause that never the Jewes nor the Gentiles could expresse so much in their lives, as the verie lawe of nature or of _Moses_ required. And therefore he that worketh without Christ, doth as he that reckoneth without his host.

♦_H. Card. lib. de var. rer. 16. cap. 93._♦

♦The Platonists and Stoiks.♦

♦The Epicureans and Peripatetiks.♦

♦_Summum bonum_ cannot consist in the happines of the bodie or mind.♦

♦Morall tēperance.♦

♦Morall prudence.♦

♦Morall justice.♦

♦Morall fortitude.♦

♦Rom. 2.♦

The second Chapter.

_Mine owne opinion concerning this argument, to the disproofe of
some writers hereupon._

I for my part doo also thinke this argument, about the nature & substance of divels and spirits, to be so difficult, as I am persuaded that no one author hath in anie certeine or perfect sort hitherto written thereof. In which respect I can neither allow the ungodly and prophane sects and doctrines of the _Sadduces_ & _Peripatetiks_, who denie that there are any divels or spirits at all; nor the fond & superstitious treatises of _Plato_, _Proclus_, _Plotinus_, _Porphyrie_; nor yet the vaine & absurd opinions of _Psellus_, _Nider_, _Sprenger_, _Cumanus_, _Bodin_, _Michaël_, _Andræas_, _Janus Matthæus_, _Laurentius Ananias_, _Jamblichus_, _&c_: who with manie others write so ridiculouslie in these matters, as if they were babes fraied with bugges; some affirming that the soules of the dead become spirits, the good to be angels, the bad to be divels; some that spirits or divels are onelie in this life; some, that they are men; some, that they are women; some, that divels are of such gender as they list themselves; some, that they had no beginning, nor shall have ending, as the _Manicheis_ mainteine; some, that they are mortall & die, as _Plutarch_ affirmeth of _Pan_; some, that they have no bodies at all, but receive bodies, according to their phantasies & imaginations; some, that their bodies are given unto them; some, that they make themselves. Some saie they are wind; some, that they are the breath of living creatures; some, that one of them begat another; some, that they were created of the least part of the masse, whereof the earth was made; and some, that they are substances betweene God and man, and that of them some are terrestriall, some celestiall, some waterie, some airie, some fierie, some starrie, and some of each and everie part of the elements, and that they know our thoughts, and carrie our good works and praiers to God, and returne his benefits backe unto us, and that they are to be worshipped: wherein they meete and agree jumpe with the papists; as if you read the notes upon the second chapter to the _Colossians_, in the Seminaries testament printed at _Rhemes_, you shall manifestlie see, though as contrarie to the word of God as blacke to white, as appeareth in the _Apocalypse_, where the angell expresselie forbad _John_ to worship him.

♦The question about spirits doubtfull and difficult.♦

♦_Plotinus._ The Greks. _Laur. Ananias._♦

♦The Manicheis.♦

♦_Plutarch._♦

♦_Psellus. Mal. malef._ Avicen, and the Caballists.♦

♦The Thalmudists.♦

♦_Psellus, &c._♦

♦The Platonists.♦

♦The Papists.♦

♦Apoc. 19. 10 Ibid. 22. 8. 9.♦

Againe, some saie that they are meane betwixt terrestriall and celestiall bodies, communicating part of each nature; and that although they be eternall, yet that they are mooved with affections: and as there are birds in the aire, fishes in the water, and wormes in the earth; so in the fourth element, which is the fier, is the habitation of spirits and divels. And least we should thinke them idle, they saie they have charge over men, and governement in all countries and nations. Some saie that they are onelie imaginations in the mind of man. _Tertullian_ saith they are birds, and flie faster than anie fowle of the aire. Some saie that divels are not, but when they are sent; and therefore are called evill angels. Some thinke that the divell sendeth his angels abrode, and he himselfe maketh his continuall abode in hell, his mansion place.

♦The Sadduces.♦

The third Chapter.

_The opinion of Psellus touching spirits, of their severall orders,
and a confutation of his errors therein._

_Psellus_ being of authoritie in the church of _Rome_, and not impugnable by anie catholike, being also instructed in these supernaturall or rather diabolicall matters by a monke called _Marcus_, who had beene familiarlie conversant a long time, as he said, with a certeine divell, reporteth upon the same divels owne word, which must needs understand best the state of this question, that the bodies of angels and divels consist not now of all one element, though perhaps it were otherwise before the fall of _Lucifer_; and that the bodies of spirits and divels can feele and be felt, doo hurt and be hurt: in so much as they lament when they are stricken; and being put to the fier are burnt, and yet that they themselves burne continuallie, in such sort as they leave ashes behind them in places where they have beene; as manifest triall thereof hath beene (if he saie truelie) in the borders of _Italie_. He also saith upon like credit and assurance, that divels and spirits doo avoid and shed from out of their bodies, such seed or nature, as whereby certeine vermine are ingendered; and that they are nourished with food, as we are, saving that they receive it not into their mouthes, but sucke it up into their bodies, in such sort as sponges soke up water. Also he saith they have names, shapes, and dwelling places, as indeed they have, though not in temporall and corporall sort.

♦_Psellus de operatione dæmonum, cap. 8._♦

♦Such are spirits walking in white sheetes, &c.♦

♦_Psellus, ibid. cap. 9._♦

♦_Idem. cap. 10._♦

Furthermore, he saith, that there are six principall kind of divels, which are not onelie corporall, but temporall and worldlie. The first sort consist of fier, wandering in the region neere to the moone, but have no power to go into the moone. The second sort consisting of aire, have their habitation more lowe and neere unto us: these (saith he) are proud and great boasters, verie wise and deceitfull, and when they come downe are seene shining with streames of fier at their taile. He saith that these are commonlie conjured up to make images laugh, and lamps burne of their owne accord; and that in _Assyria_ they use much to prophesie in a bason of water. Which kind of incantation is usuall among our conjurors: but it is here commonlie performed in a pitcher or pot of water; or else in a violl of glasse filled with water, wherin they say at the first a litle sound is heard without a voice, which is a token of the divels comming. Anon the water seemeth to be troubled, and then there are heard small voices, wherewith they give their answers, speaking so softlie as no man can well heare them: bicause (saith _Cardane_) they would not be argued or rebuked of lies. But this I have else-where more largelie described and confuted. The third sort of divels _Psellus_ saith are earthlie; the fourth waterie, or of the sea; the fift under the earth; the sixt sort are _Lucifugi_, that is, such as delight in darkenes, & are scant indued with sense, and so dull, as they can scarse be mooved with charmes or conjurations.

♦_Idem ibid. cap. 11._♦

♦Oh hethenish, nay oh papisticall follie!♦

♦The opinions of all papists.♦

♦A cousening knaverie.♦

♦_H. Card. lib. de var. rer. 16. cap. 93._♦

The same man saith, that some divels are woorse than other, but yet that they all hate God, and are enimies to man. But the woorser moitie of divels are _Aquei_, _Subterranei_, and _Lucifugi_;[*] that is, waterie, under the earth, and shunners of light: bicause (saith he) these hurt not the soules of men, but destroie mens bodies like mad and ravening beasts, molesting both the inward and outward parts thereof. _Aquei_ are they that raise tempests, and drowne seafaring men, and doo all other mischeefes on the water. _Subterranei_ and _Lucifugi_ enter into the bowels of men, and torment them that they possesse with the phrensie, and the falling evill. They also assault them that are miners or pioners, which use to worke in deepe and darke holes under the earth. Such divels as are earthie and aierie, he saith enter by subtiltie into the minds of men, to deceive them, provoking men to absurd and unlawfull affections.

♦Divels of diverse natures, and their operations.♦

♦[*] [These three Ital.]♦

But herein his philosophie is verie unprobable, for if the divell be earthie, he must needs be palpable; if he be palpable, he must needs kill them into whose bodies he entereth. Item, if he be of earth created, then must he also be visible and untransformable in that point: for Gods creation cannot be annihilated by the creature. So as, though it were granted, that they might adde to their substance matter and forme, &c: yet is it most certeine, that they cannot diminish or alter the substance whereof they consist, as not to be (when they list) spirituall, or to relinquish and leave earth, water, fier, aier, or this and that element whereof they are created. But howsoever they imagine of water, aier, or fier, I am sure earth must alwaies be visible and palpable; yea, and aier must alwaies be invisible, and fier must be hot, and water must be moist. And of these three latter bodies, speciallie of water and aier, no forme nor shape can be exhibited to mortall eies naturallie, or by the power of anie creature.

♦The former opinion confuted.♦

The fourth Chapter.

_More absurd assertions of Psellus and such others, concerning
the actions and passions of spirits, his definition of them,
and of his experience therein._

Moreover, the same author saith, that spirits whisper in our minds, and yet not speaking so lowd, as our eares may heare them: but in such sort as our soules speake together when they are dissolved; making an example by lowd speaking a farre off, and a comparison of soft whispering neere hand, so as the divell entreth so neere to the mind as the eare need not heare him; and that everie part of a divell or spirit seeth, heareth, and speaketh, &c. But herein I will beleeve _Paule_ better than _Psellus_, or his monke, or the moonks divell. For _Paule_ saith; If the whole bodie were an eie, where were hearing? If the whole bodie were hearing, where were smelling, &c. Whereby you may see what accord is betwixt Gods word and witchmongers.

♦_Psellus lib. de operat. dæm. cap. 12._♦

♦If this were spoken of the temptations, &c. of satan, it were tollerable.♦

♦1. Cor. 12.♦

The papists proceed in this matter, and saie, that these spirits use great knaverie and unspeakeable bawderie in the breech and middle parts of man and woman, by tickeling, and by other lecherous devises; so that they fall jumpe in judgement and opinion, though verie erroniouslie, with the foresaid _Psellus_, of whose doctrine also this is a parcell; to wit, that these divels hurt not cattell for the hate they beare unto them, but for love of their naturall and temperate heate and moisture, being brought up in deepe, drie and cold places: marie they hate the heate of the sun and the fier, bicause that kind of heate drieth too fast. They throwe downe stones upon men, but the blowes thereof doo no harme to them whome they hit; bicause they are not cast with anie force: for (saith he) the divels have little and small strength, so as these stones doo nothing but fraie and terrifie men, as scarecrowes doo birds out of the corne feelds. But when these divels enter into the pores, than doo they raise woonderfull tumults in the bodie and mind of man. And if it be a subterrene divell, it dooth writh and bow the possessed, and speaketh by him, using the spirit of the patient as his instrument. But he saith, that when _Lucifugus_ possesseth a man, he maketh him dumbe, and as it were dead: and these be they that are cast out (saith he) onelie by fasting and praier.

♦_Psellus. ibid. cap. 13._♦

♦If a babe of two yeeres old throwe stones from Powles steeple, they will doo hurt, &c.♦

♦Howbeit I thinke the spirit of tentation to be that divell; & therefore Christ biddeth us watch and praie, least we be temted, &c.♦

The same _Psellus_, with his mates _Bodin_ and the penners of _M. Mal._ and others, doo find fault with the physicians that affirme such infirmities to be cureable with diet, and not by inchantments; saieng, that physicians doo onlie attend upon the bodie, & that which is perceiveable by outward sense; and that as touching this kind of divine philosophie, they have no skill at all. And to make divels and spirits seeme yet more corporall and terrene, he saith that certeine divels are belonging to certeine countries, and speake the languages of the same countries, and none other; some the _Assyrian_, some the _Chaldæan_, & some the _Persian_ toong, and that they feele stripes, and feare hurt, and speciallie the dint of the sword (in which respect conjurors have swords with them in their circles, to terrifie them) and that they change shapes, even as suddenlie as men doo change colour with blushing, feare, anger, and other moods of the mind. He saith yet further, that there be brute beasts among them, and yet divels, and subject to anie kind of death; insomuch as they are so foolish, as they may be compared to flies, fleas, and wormes, who have no respect to any thing but their food, not regarding or remembring the hole from out of whence they came last. Marrie divels compounded of earth, cannot often transforme themselves, but abide in some one shape, such as they best like, and most delight in; to wit, in the shape of birds or women: and therefore the Greeks call them _Neidas_, _Nereidas_, and _Dreidas_ in the feminine gender; which _Dreidæ_ inhabited (as some write) the ilands beside _Scotland_ called _Druidæ_, which by that meanes had their denomination and name. Other divels that dwell in drier places transforme themselves into the masculine kind. Finallie _Psellus_ saith they know our thoughts, and can prophesie of things to come. His definition is, that they are perpetuall minds in a passible bodie.

♦_Psel. in operat. dæm. cap. 14._♦

♦_Idem. cap. 17_♦

♦Beastlike divels.♦

♦But _Psellus_ sawe nothing himselfe.♦

To verefie these toies he saith, that he himselfe sawe in a certeine night a man brought up by _Aletus Libius_ into a mountaine, and that he tooke an hearbe, and spat thrise into his mouth, and annointed his eies with a certeine ointment, so as thereby he sawe great troopes of divels, and perceived a crowe to flie into his mouth; and since that houre he could prophesie at all times, saving on good fridaie, and easter sundaie. If the end of this tale were true, it might not onelie have satisfied the Greeke church, in keeping the daie of easter, togither with the church of _Rome_; but might also have made the pope (that now is) content with our christmas and easter daie, and not to have gathered the minuts together, and reformed it so, as to shew how falselie he and his predecessors (whome they saie could not erre) have observed it hitherto. And trulie this, and the dansing of the sunne on easter daie morning sufficientlie or rather miraculouslie proveth that computation, which the pope now beginneth to doubt of, and to call in question.

♦Probable and likelie stuffe.♦

The fift Chapter.

_The opinion of Fascius Cardanus touching spirits, and of his
familiar divell._

_Fascius Cardanus_ had (as he himselfe and his sonne _Hierome Cardanus_ report) a familiar divell, consisting of the fierie element, who, so long as he used conjuration, did give true answers to all his demands: but when he burned up his booke of conjurations, though he resorted still unto him, yet did he make false answers continuallie. He held him bound twentie & eight yeares, and loose five yeares. And during the time that he was bound, he told him that there were manie divels or spirits. He came not alwaies alone, but sometimes some of his fellowes with him. He rather agreed with _Psellus_ than with _Plato_: for he said they were begotten, borne, died, and lived long; but how long, they told him not: howbeit as he might conjecture by his divels face, who was 42. yeares old, and yet appeared verie yoong, he thought they lived two or three hundred yeares; and they said that their soules and ours also died with their bodies. They had schooles and universities among them: but he conceived not that anie were so dull headded, as _Psellus_ maketh them. But they are verie quicke in credit, that beleeve such fables, which indeed is the groundworke of witchcraft and conjuration. But these histories are so grosse and palpable, that I might be thought as wise in going about to confute them, as to answer the stories of Frier _Rush_, Adam Bell, or the golden Legend.

♦_Fasc. Card. operat. de dæmon._♦

The sixt Chapter.

_The opinion of Plato concerning spirits, divels and angels,
what sacrifices they like best, what they feare, and of
Socrates his familiar divell._

_Plato_ and his followers hold, that good spirits appeare in their owne likenesse; but that evill spirits appeare and shew themselves in the forme of other bodies; and that one divell reigneth over the rest, as a prince dooth in everie perfect commonwelth over men. Item, they obteine their purposes and desires, onelie by intreatie, of men and women; bicause in nature they are their inferiors, and use authoritie over men none otherwise than priests by vertue of their function, and bicause of religion, wherein (they saie) they execute the office of God. Sometimes they saie that the fierie spirits or supreme substances enter into the puritie of the mind, and so obteine their purpose; sometimes otherwise, to wit, by vertue of holie charmes, and even as a poore man obteineth for Gods sake anie thing at a princes hand as it were by importunatnesse.

♦The Platonists opinion.♦

The other sort of divels and defiled soules are so conversant on earth, as that they doo much hurt unto earthlie bodies, speciallie in lecherie. Gods and angels (saie they) bicause they want all materiall and grosse substance, desire most the pure sacrifice of the mind. The grosser and more terrestriall spirits desire the grosser sacrifices; as beasts and cattell. They in the middle or meane region delight to have frankincense, and such meane stuffe offered unto them: and therefore (saie they) it is necessarie to sacrifice unto them, all maner of things, so the same be slaine, and die not of their owne accord: for such they abhorre. Some saie that spirits feare woonderfullie vaine threats, and thereupon will depart; as if you tell them that you will cut the heavens in peeces, or reveale their secrets, or complaine of them to the gods, or saie that you will doo anie impossibilitie, or such things as they cannot understand; they are so timerous, as they will presentlie be gone: and that is thought the best waie to be rid of them. But these be most commonlie of that sort or companie, which are called _Principatus_, being of all other the most easie to be conjured.

♦What kind of sacrifices each spirit liketh best.♦

They saie _Socrates_ had a familiar divell: which _Plato_ relieth much upon, using none other argument to proove that there are such spirits, but bicause _Socrates_ (that would not lie) said so; and partlie bicause that divell did ever dissuade and prohibit, not onelie in _Socrates_ his owne cases, but sometimes in his freends behalfe; who (if they had beene ruled) might through his admonition have saved their lives. His disciples gathered that his divell was Saturnall, and a principall fierie divell; and that he, and all such as doo naturallie know their divels, are onlie such as are called _Dæmonii viri_, otherwise, Couseners. Item, they saie that fierie spirits urge men to contemplation, the aierie to busines, the waterie to lust; and among these there are some that are Martiall, which give fortitude; some are Joviall, giving wisedome; some Saturniall, alwaies using dissuasion and dehorting. Item, some are borne with us, and remaine with us all our life; some are meere strangers, who are nothing else but the soules of men departed this life, &c.

♦Of Socrates his private divell or familiar spirit.♦

The seventh Chapter.

_Platos nine orders of spirits and angels, Dionysius his
division thereof not much differing from the same, all
disprooved by learned divines._

_Plato_ proposeth or setteth foorth nine severall orders of spirits, besides the spirits and soules of men. The first spirit is God that commandeth all the residue; the second are those that are called _Ideæ_, which give all things to all men; the third are the soules of heavenlie bodies which are mortall; the fourth are angels; the fift archangels; the sixt are divels, who are ministers to infernall powers, as angels are to supernall; the seventh are halfe gods; the eight are principalities; the ninth are princes. From which division _Dionysius_ dooth not much swarve, saving that he dealeth (as he saith) onelie with good spirits, whome he likewise divideth into nine parts or offices. The first he calleth Seraphim, the second Cherubim, the third thrones, the fourth dominations, the fift vertues, the sixt powers, the seventh principalities, the eight archangels, the ninth and inferior sort he calleth angels. Howbeit, some of these (in my thinking) are evill spirits: or else _Paule_ gave us evill counsell, when he willed us to fight against principalities, and powers, and all spirituall wickednes.

♦_Dionys. in cælest. hierarch. cap. 9. 10._♦

♦Ephes. 6.♦

But _Dionysius_ in that place goeth further, impropriating to everie countrie, and almost to everie person of anie accompt, a peculiar angell; as to _Jewrie_, he assigneth _Michael_; to _Adam_, _Razael_; to _Abraham_, _Zakiel_; to _Isaach_, _Raphael_; to _Jacob_, _Peliel_; to _Moses_, _Metraton_, &c. But in these discourses he either folowed his owne imaginations and conceipts, or else the corruptions of that age. Nevertheles, I had rather confute him by M. _Calvine_, and my kinseman M. _Deering_, than by my selfe, or mine owne words. For M. _Calvine_ saith, that _Dionysius_ herein speaketh not as by hearesaie, but as though he had slipped downe from heaven, and told of things which he had seene. And yet (saith he) _Paule_ was rapt into the third heaven, and reporteth no such matters. But if you read M. _Deering_ upon the first chapter to the _Hebrues_, you shall see this matter notablie handled; where he saith, that whensoever archangell is mentioned in the scriptures, it signifieth our saviour Christ, and no creature. And certeine it is that Christ himselfe was called an angell. The names also of angels, as _Michael, Gabriel, &c_: are given to them (saith _Calvine_) according to the capacitie of our weakenesse. But bicause the decision of this question is neither within the compasse of mans capacitie, nor yet of his knowledge, I will proceed no further to discusse the same, but to shew the absurd opinions of papists and witchmongers on the one side, and the most sober and probable collections of the contrarie minded on the other side.

♦_Dionys. in cælest. hierarch._♦

♦_J. Calv. lib. instit. 1. c. 14._♦

♦Edw. Deering, in lect. upon the Hebrues reading. 6.♦

♦Mal. 3. 1.♦

The eight Chapter.

_The commensement of divels fondlie gathered out of the 14.
of Isaie, of Lucifer and of his fall, the Cabalists the
Thalmudists and Schoolemens opinions of the creation of
angels._

The witchmoongers, which are most commonlie bastard divines, doo fondlie gather and falselie conceive the commensement of divels out of the fourteenth of _Isaie_; where they suppose _Lucifer_ is cited, as the name of an angell; who on a time being desirous to be checkemate with God himselfe, would needs (when God was gone a litle asside) be sitting downe, or rather pirking up in Gods owne principall and cathedrall chaire; and that therfore God cast him and all his confederates out of heaven: so as some fell downe from thence to the bottome of the earth; some having descended but into the midle region, and the taile of them having not yet passed through the higher region, staied even then & there, when God said, Ho. But God knoweth there is no such thing ment nor mentioned in that place. For there is onlie foreshewed the deposing and deprivation of king _Nabuchadnez-zar_, who exalting himselfe in pride (as it were above the starres) esteemed his glorie to surmount all others, as farre as _Lucifer_ the bright morning starre shineth more gloriouslie than the other common starres, and was punished by exile, untill such time as he had humbled himselfe; and therefore metaphoricallie was called _Lucifer_.

♦Isai. 14.♦

But forsooth, bicause these great clarkes would be thought methodicall, and to have crept out of wisedomes bosome, who rather cralled out of follies breeches; they take upon them to shew us, first, whereof these angels that fell from heaven were created; to wit, of the left side of that massie moold, whereof the world was compounded, the which (saie they) was _Putredo terræ_, that is, the rottennesse of the earth. The _Cabalists_, with whome _Avicen_ seemeth to agree, saie that one of these begat another: others saie, they were made all at once. The Greekes doo write that angels were created before the world. The Latinists saie they were made the fourth daie, when the starres were made. _Laurence Ananias_ saith, they were made the first daie, and could not be made the fourth daie, bicause it is written; _Quando facta sunt sidera, laudaverunt me angeli_: so as (saith he) they were made under the name of the heavens.

♦The opinion of the Thalmudists.♦

♦_Laur. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

♦_Crœavit[*] cælum & terram._♦

♦[*] [_Creavit_] [Gen. 1. 1. Vulg.]♦

There is also a great question among the schoolemen, whether more angels fell downe with _Lucifer_, or remained in heaven with _Michael_. Manie having a bad opinion of the angels honesties, affirme that the greater part fell with _Lucifer_: but the better opinion is (saith _Laurentius Ananias_) that the most part remained. And of them that thinke so, some saie the tenth part were cast downe, some the ninth; and some gather upon _S. John_, that the third part were onelie damned; bicause it is written, that the dragon with his taile plucked downe with him the third part of the starres.

♦_Lau. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

The ninth Chapter.

_Of the contention betweene the Greeke and Latine church
touching the fall of angels, the variance among papists
themselves herein, a conflict betweene Michael and Lucifer._

There was also another contention betweene the Greeke church and the Latine; to wit, of what orders of angels they were that did fall with _Lucifer_. Our schoolemen saie they were of all the nine orders of angels in _Lucifers_ conspiracie. But bicause the superior order was of the more noble constitution and excellent estate, and the inferior of a lesse worthie nature, the more part of the inferior orders fell as guiltie and offenders with _Lucifer_. Some saie the divell himselfe was of the inferior order of angels, and some that he was of the highest order: bicause it is written, _In cherubim extentus & protegens posui te in monte sancto Dei_. And these saie further, that he was called the dragon, bicause of his excellent knowledge. Finallie, these great doctors conclude, that the divell himselfe was of the order of seraphim, which is the highest, because it is written, _Quomodo enim manè oriebaris Lucifer?_[*] They of this sect affirme, that _Cacodæmones_ were they that rebelled against _Jove_; I meane they of _Plato_ his sect, himselfe also holding the same opinion. Our schoolemen differ much in the cause of _Lucifers_ fall. For some said it was for speaking these words, _Ponam sedem meam in aquilone, & similis ero altissimo_:[†] others saie, bicause he utterlie refused felicitie, and thought scorne therof; others saie, bicause he thought all his strength proceeded from himselfe, and not from God; others saie that it was, bicause he attempted to doo that by himselfe, and his owne abilitie, which he should have obteined by the gift of another; others saie, that his condemnation grew hereupon, for that he challenged the place of the Messias; others saie, bicause he detracted the time to adore the majestie of God, as other angels did; others saie, bicause he utterlie refused it. _Scotus_ and his disciples saie that it was, bicause he rebelliouslie claimed equall omnipotencie with God: with whom lightlie the _Thomists_ never agree. Others saie it was for all these causes together, and manie more: so as hereupon (saith _Laurentius Ananias_) grew a wonderfull conflict betweene _Michaël_ and the good angels on the one side, and _Lucifer_ and his freends on the other: so as, after a long and doubtfull skirmish, _Michaël_ overthrew _Lucifer_, and turned him and his fellowes out of the doores.

♦_Lau. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

♦[*] [Isai. 14. 12]♦

♦I will settle my selfe in the north, and will be like the highest.♦

♦[†] [Isai. 14. 13, 14]♦

♦_Laur. Anan. lib. de natur. dæm. 1._♦

The tenth Chapter.

_Where the battell betweene Michael and Lucifer was fought, how
long it continued, and of their power, how fondlie papists
and infidels write of them, and how reverentlie Christians
ought to thinke of them._

Now where this battell was fought, and how long it continued, there is as great contention among the schoolemen, as was betwixt _Michaël_ and _Lucifer_. The _Thomists_ saie this battell was fought in the mpereiall[*] heaven, where the abode is of blessed spirits, and the place of pleasure and felicitie. _Augustine_ and manie others saie, that the battell was fought in the highest region of the aier; others saie, in the firmament; others in paradise. The _Thomists_ also saie it continued but one instant or pricke of time; for they tarried but two instants in all, even from their creation to their expulsion. The _Scotists_ saie, that betweene their production and their fall, there were just foure instants. Nevertheles, the greatest number of schoolemen affirme, that they continued onelie three instants: bicause it stood with Gods justice, to give them three warnings; so as at the third warning _Lucifer_ fell downe like led (for so are the words) to the bottome of hell; the rest were left in the aire, to tempt man. The _Sadduces_ were as grosse the other waie: for they said, that by angels was ment nothing else, but the motion that God dooth inspire in men, or the tokens of his power. He that readeth _Eusebius_ shall see manie more absurd opinions and asseverations of angels: as how manie thousand yeares they serve as angels, before they come to the promotion of archangels, &c.

♦[*] [_sic_]♦

♦_Instans, viz. punctum temp. nempe individuum Nunc._♦

♦_Euseb. in ecclesi. histor._♦

_Monsieur Bodin_, _M. Mal._ and manie other papists gather upon the seventh of _Daniel_, that there are just ten millians of angels in heaven. Manie saie that angels are not by nature, but by office. Finallie, it were infinite to shew the absurd and curious collections hereabout. I for my part thinke with _Calvine_, that angels are creatures of God; though _Moses_ spake nothing of their creation, who onelie applied himselfe to the capacitie of the common people, reciting nothing but things seene. And I saie further with him, that they are heavenlie spirits, whose ministration and service God useth: and in that respect are called angels. I saie yet againe with him, that it is verie certeine, that they have no shape at all; for they are spirits, who never have anie: and finallie, I saie with him, that the scriptures, for the capacitie of our wit, dooth not in vaine paint out angels unto us with wings; bicause we should conceive, that they are readie swiftlie to succour us. And certeinlie all the sounder divines doo conceive and give out, that both the names and also the number of angels are set downe in the scripture by the Holie-ghost, in termes to make us understand the greatnesse and the manner of their messages; which (I saie) are either expounded by the number of angels, or signified by their names.

♦_10000000. Johannes Cassianus in confessione theolog. tripart._♦

♦_J. Cal. lib. instit. 1. cap. 14. sect. 8._♦

Furthermore, the schoole doctors affirme, that foure of the superior orders of angels never take anie forme or shape of bodies, neither are sent of anie arrand at anie time. As for archangels, they are sent onelie about great and secret matters; and angels are common hacknies about evere trifle; and that these can take what shape or bodie they list: marie they never take the forme of women or children. Item they saie that angels take most terrible shapes: for _Gabriel_ appeared to _Marie_, when he saluted hir, _Facie rutilante, veste coruscante, ingressu mirabili, aspectu terribili, &c_: that is, with a bright countenance, shining attire, wonderfull gesture, and a dredful vissage, &c. But of apparitions I have spoken somewhat before, and will saie more hearafter. It hath beene long, and continueth yet a constant opinion, not onelie among the papists; but among others also, that everie man hath assigned him, at the time of his nativitie, a good angell and a bad. For the which there is no reason in nature, nor authoritie in scripture. For not one angell, but all the angels are said to rejoise more of one convert, than of ninetie and nine just. Neither did one onelie angell conveie _Lazarus_ into _Abrahams_ bosome. And therefore I conclude with _Calvine_, that he which referreth to one angell, the care that GOD hath to everie one of us, dooth himselfe great wrong: as may appeare by so manie fierie chariots shewed by _Elizæus_ to his servant. But touching this mysterie of angels, let us reverentlie thinke of them, and not curiouslie search into the nature of them, considering the vilenes of our condition, in respect of the glorie of their creation. And as for the foresaid fond imaginations and fables of _Lucifer_, _&c_: they are such as are not onelie ridiculous, but also accomptable among those impious curiosities, and vaine questions, which _Paule_ speaketh of: neither have they anie tittle or letter in the scripture for the maintenance of their grosse opinions in this behalfe.

♦_Mich. And. thes. 107. 101._ _Idem thes. 103. 108._♦

♦Luk. 15, 7.♦

♦Luk. 16, 23.♦

♦_J. Cal. lib. instit. 1. cap. 14._♦

♦2. Reg. 16. 17♦

The eleventh Chapter.

_Whether they became divels which being angels kept not
their vocation, in Jude and Peter; of the fond opinions of
the Rabbins touching spirits and bugs, with a confutation
thereof._

We doo read in _Jude_, and find it confirmed in _Peter_, that the angels kept not their first estate, but left their owne habitation, and sinned, and (as _Job_ saith) committed follie: and that God therefore did cast them downe into hell, reserving them in everlasting chaines under darkenes, unto the judgement of the great daie. But manie divines saie, that they find not anie where, that God made divels of them, or that they became the princes of the world, or else of the aire; but rather prisoners. Howbeit, divers doctors affirme, that this _Lucifer_, notwithstanding his fall, hath greater power than any of the angels in heaven: marrie they say that there be certeine other divels of the inferiour sort of angels, which were then thrust out for smaller faults, and therefore are tormented with little paines, besides eternal damnation: and these (saie they) can doo little hurt. They affirme also, that they onelie use certeine jugling knacks, delighting thereby to make men laugh, as they travell by the high waies: but other (saie they) are much more churlish. For proofe heereof they alledge the eighth of _Matthew_, where he would none otherwise be satisfied but by exchange, from the annoieng of one man, to the destruction of a whole heard of swine. The _Rabbines_, and namelie _Rabbi Abraham_, writing upon the second of Genesis, doo say, that God made the fairies, bugs, _Incubus_, Robin good fellow, and other familiar or domesticall spirits & divels on the fridaie: and being prevented with the evening of the sabboth, finished them not, but left them unperfect; and therefore that ever since they use to flie the holinesse of the sabboth, seeking darke holes in mountaines and woods, wherein they hide themselves till the end of the sabboth, and then come abroad to trouble and molest men.

♦Jud. vers. 6. 2. Pet. 2. 4.♦

♦_Mal. malef. par. 2. quæ 1. cap. 2. 3._♦

♦_Mal. malef. part. 2. cap. 1. quæst. 1._♦

♦_Mich. And. Laur. Anan. Mal. malef. &c._♦

♦_Author. lib. Zeor hammor in Gen. 2._♦

But as these opinions are ridiculous and fondlie collected; so if we have onelie respect to the bare word, or rather to the letter, where spirits or divels are spoken of in the scriptures, we shall run into as dangerous absurdities as these are. For some are so carnallie minded, that a spirit is no sooner spoken of, but immediatlie they thinke of a blacke man with cloven feet, a paire of hornes, a taile, clawes, and eies as broad as a bason, &c. But surelie the divell were not so wise in his generation, as I take him to be, if he would terrifie men with such uglie shapes, though he could doo it at his pleasure. For by that meanes men should have good occasion & oportunitie to flie from him, & to run to God for succour; as the maner is of all them that are terrified, though perchance they thought not upon God of long time before. But in truth we never have so much cause to be afraid of the divell, as when he flatteringlie insinuateth himselfe into our harts, to satisfie, please, and serve our humors, entising us to prosecute our owne appetits and pleasures, without anie of these externall terrors. I would weete of these men, where they doo find in the scriptures, that some divels be spirituall, and some corporall; or how these earthie or waterie divels enter into the mind of man. _Augustine_ saith, and diverse others affirme, that sathan or the divell while we feed, allureth us with gluttonie: he thrusteth lust into our generation; and sloth into our exercise; into our conversation, envie; into our traffike, avarice; into our correction, wrath; into our government, pride: he putteth into our harts evill cogitations; into our mouthes, lies, &c. When we wake, he mooveth us to evill works; when we sleepe, to evill and filthie dreames; he provoketh the merrie to loosenesse, and the sad to despaire.

♦The grosse dulnesse of manie at the hearing of a spirit named.♦

♦_Aug. in ser. 4._ _Greg. 29. sup. Job._ _Leo pont. ser. 8. Nativit._♦

The twelfe Chapter.

_That the divels assaults are spirituall and not temporall, and how
grosselie some understand those parts of the scripture._

Upon that, which hitherto hath beene said, you see that the assaults of sathan are spirituall, and not temporall: in which respect _Paule_ wisheth us not to provide a corselet of Steele to defend us from his clawes; but biddeth us put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the invasions of the divell. For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud; but against principalities, powers, and spirituall wickednesse. And therefore he adviseth us to be sober and watch: for the divell goeth about like a roring lion, seeking whome he may devoure. He meaneth not with carnall teeth: for it followeth thus, Whome resist ye stedfastlie in faith. And againe he saith, That which is spirituall onelie discerneth spirituall things: for no carnall man can discerne the things of the spirit. Why then should we thinke that a divell, which is a spirit, can be knowne, or made tame and familiar unto a naturall man; or contrarie to nature, can be by a witch made corporall, being by God ordeined to a spirituall proportion?

♦Ephe. 6, 11, 12.♦

♦2. Tim. 2, 8, 9.♦

♦Idem ibid.♦

♦1. Cor. 2. 14.♦

The cause of this grosse conceipt is, that we hearken more diligentlie to old wives, and rather give credit to their fables, than to the word of God; imagining by the tales they tell us, that the divell is such a bulbegger, as I have before described. For whatsoever is proposed in scripture to us by parable, or spoken figurativelie or significativelie, or framed to our grosse capacities, &c: is by them so considered and expounded, as though the bare letter, or rather their grosse imaginations thereupon were to be preferred before the true sense and meaning of the word. For I dare saie, that when these blockheads read _Jothans_ parable in the ninth of Judges to the men of _Sichem_; to wit, that the trees went out to annoint a king over them, saieng to the olive tree, Reigne thou over us: who answered and said, Should I leave my fatnesse, &c? They imagine that the woodden trees walked, & spake with a mans voice: or else, that some spirit entred into the trees, and answered as is imagined they did in the idols and oracles of _Apollo_, and such like; who indeed have eies, and see not; eares and heare not; mouthes, and speake not, &c.

♦Judg. 9. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.♦

The xiii. Chapter.

_The equivocation of this word spirit, how diverslie it is
taken in the scriptures, where (by the waie) is taught that
the scripture is not alwaies literallie to be interpreted,
nor yet allegoricallie to be understood._

Such as search with the spirit of wisedome and understanding, shall find, that spirits, as well good as bad, are in the scriptures diverslie taken: yea they shall well perceive, that the divell is no horned beast. For [a]sometimes in the scriptures, spirits and divels are taken for infirmities of the bodie; [b]sometimes for the vices of the mind; sometimes also for the gifts of either of them. [c]Sometimes a man is called a divell, as _Judas_ in the sixt of _John_, and _Peter_ in the xvi. of _Matthew_. [d]Sometimes a spirit is put for the Gospell; sometimes for the mind or soule of man; sometimes [e]for the will of man, his mind and counsell; sometimes [f]for teachers and prophets; sometimes [g]for zeale towards God; sometimes [h]for joie in the Holie-ghost, &c.

♦[a] Exod. 31, 1♦

♦[b] Acts. 8, 19.
Gal. 3.♦

♦[c] John. 6.
Matth. 16.♦

♦[d] 1. Cor. 3.
Gal. 3.
1. Cor. 2. 2.
Cor. 7.♦

♦[e] Luke 9.
1. Cor. 5.
Philip 1.
1 Thes. 5.♦

♦[f] 1. John. 4.♦

♦[g] 1. Tim. 4.♦

♦[h] Ephes. 5.
Isai. 11, 2.♦

And to interpret unto us the nature and signification of spirits, we find these words written in the scripture; to wit, The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; The spirit of counsell and strength; The spirit of wisedome and understanding; The spirit of knowledge and the feare of the Lord. Againe, I will powre out my spirit upon the house of _David_, _&c_: The spirit of grace and compassion. Againe, Ye have not received the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption. And therefore _Paule_ saith, To one is given, by the spirit, the word of wisedome; to another, the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to another, the gift of healing; to another, the gift of faith by the same spirit; to another, the gift of prophesie; to another, the operation of great works; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, the diversitie of toongs; to another, the interpretation of toongs: and all these things worketh one and the selfesame spirit. Thus farre the words of _Paule_. And finallie, _Esaie_ saith, that the Lord mingled among them the spirit of error. And in another place, The Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber.

♦Zach. 12, 10.♦

♦Rom. 1, 15. 1. Cor. 12, 8, 9, 10.♦

♦1. Co. 12, 11.♦

♦Isai. 19, 14.♦

♦Isaie. 29.♦

As for the spirits of divination spoken of in the scripture, they are such as was in the woman of _Endor_, the _Philippian_ woman, the wench of _Westwell_, and the holie maid of _Kent_; who were indued with spirits or gifts of divination, whereby they could make shift to gaine monie, and abuse the people by slights and craftie inventions. But these are possessed of borrowed spirits, as it is written in the booke of Wisedome; and spirits of meere cousenage and deceipt, as I have sufficientlie prooved elsewhere. I denie not therefore that there are spirits and divels, of such substance as it hath pleased GOD to create them. But in what place soever it be found or read in the scriptures, a spirit or divell is to be understood spirituallie, and is neither a corporall nor a visible thing. Where it is written, that God sent an evill spirit betweene _Abimelech_, and the men of _Sichem_, we are to understand, that he sent the spirit of hatred, and not a bulbegger. Also where it is said; If the spirit of gelosie come upon him: it is as much to saie as; If he be mooved with a gelous mind: and not that a corporall divell assaulteth him. It is said in the Gospell; There was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmitie 18. yeeres, who was bowed togither, &c: whome Christ, by laieng his hand upon hir, delivered of hir disease. Wherby it is to be seene, that although it be said, that sathan had bound hir, &c: yet that it was a sicknes or disease of bodie that troubled hir; for Christs owne words expound it. Neither is there any word of witchcraft mentioned, which some saie was the cause thereof.

♦1. Sam. 28. Hest. 16.♦

♦Sap. 15, 15, 19.♦

♦Judg. 9, 23.♦

♦Num. 5, 14.♦

♦Luke. 13, 11.♦

There were seven divels cast out of _Marie Magdalen_. Which is not so grosselie understood by the learned, as that there were in hir just seven corporall divels, such as I described before elsewhere; but that by the number of seven divels, a great multitude, and an uncerteine number of vices is signified: which figure is usuall in divers places of the scripture. And this interpretation is more agreeable with Gods word, than the papisticall paraphrase, which is; that Christ, under the name of the seven divels, recounteth the seven deadlie sinnes onelie. Others allow neither of these expositions; bicause they suppose that the efficacie of Christs miracle should this waie be confounded: as though it were not as difficult a matter, with a touch to make a good Christian of a vicious person; as with a word to cure the ague, or any other disease of a sicke bodie. I thinke not but any of both these cures may be wrought by meanes, in processe of time, without miracle; the one by the preacher, the other by the physician. But I saie that Christs worke in both was apparentlie miraculous: for with power and authoritie, even with a touch of his finger, and a word of his mouth, he made the blind to see, the halt to go, the lepers cleane, the deafe to heare, the dead to rise againe, and the poore to receive the Gospell, out of whom (I saie) he cast divels, and miraculouslie conformed them to become good Christians, which before were dissolute livers; to whome he said, Go your waies and sinne no more.

♦Mark. 16, 9.♦

♦Levit. 26. Prov. 24. Luk. 17.♦

♦Matth. 8, 16.♦

♦Luk. 4, 36. Luk. 7, 21.♦

♦John 8, 11.♦

The xiiii. Chapter.

_That it pleased God to manifest the power of his sonne and not of
witches by miracles._