18_ _Ezech. 33. 11_. Therefore _Caine_ did iniury to God, when conuicted of the barbarous and vnnaturall murther of his righteous brother, cryed out tht his sinne was greater then could be forgiuen, _Gen. 4. 13_ for _Gods_ mercy is greater then mans misery can be. And euen for the like vnto this very fact, we haue a booke case, already adiudged, and ouer-ruled in those _Ephesians_, who brought their coniuring bookes, sacrificed them in the fire, æstimated at the [b]value of nine hundred pounds of our money, repented of their[c] sinnes, and obtained mercy, _Acts 19. vers. 19_. [Footnote b: _Bud[e,]us de asse. lib. 5._] [Footnote c: The Ephesians were infamous for their Magicall practises, _Appollonius_ professing the same in the Citie, so that it grewe into a prouerb, +grammata Ephesia+ the Ephesian letters, which were certaine Characters and wordes, by vertue whereof they obtained good successe in all businesse, victory against others, euasion and escape from dangers; and as we reade in _Suidas_, a Milesian armed with these letters, ouer-came thirty Champions in the games of _Olimpus_, but being remoued by the Magistrate, hauing intelligence thereof, himselfe was subdued. Of these see _Athen[e,]us Deipnosophiston lib. 12._ _Hesichius_ in his _Lexicon._ _Plutarchus quæstionum conuiualium, lib 7. cap. 5_.] ¶ _The eight Proposition, and first consequent._ Now then from this premised narration, these two corrollaries or consequents do necessarily follow. It is not lawfull for any Christian to consult with a witch or wisard, or goe to them for helpe. God himselfe, whose commandement is and must be the rule of our life & direction hath forbidden it, _Leuit. 19. 31._ and _20. 6._ _Deuter. 18. 10.11_. And the Imperiall lawes, haue beene in this case verie respectiue.[a] Therefore, _Leo_ the Emperour straitly enioyneth, that none should resort vnto them, and stileth their aduice nothing but meere impostures and deceit; and in the [b]Decrees collected by _Gratian_, the teachers of the people are seriously exhorted to admonish them, that magicall arts and inchantments cannot heale any infirmity: and that they bee the dangerous snares, and subtilties of that ancient enemy of mankind, by which he indeuoureth to entangle them[c]: and these so streight and seuere prohibitions are not without iust and weighty cause. For, [Footnote a: _Cod lib. 9. titulo 18. L. nullus & L. Nemo._] [Footnote b: _Gratianus decretorum parte 2. caus. 26. qu. 7._] [Footnote c: _Danæus in dialogo de sortiarijs cap. 6._]