Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
Me thinks _Seneca_ might satisfie these credulous or rather idolatrous
people, that runne a whorehunting, either in bodie or phansie, after
these witches, beleeving all that is attributed unto them, to the
derogation of Gods glorie. He saith, that the rude people, and our
ignorant predecessors did beleeve, that raine and showers might be
procured and staied by witches charmes and inchantments: of which kind
of things that there can nothing be wrought, it is so manifest, that
we need not go to anie philosophers schoole, to learne the confutation
thereof.
But _Jeremie_, by the word of God, dooth utterlie confound all that
which may be devised for the maintenance of that foolish opinion,
saieng; Are there any among the gods of the gentiles, that sendeth
raine, or giveth showers from heaven? Art not thou the selfe same
our Lord God? We will trust in thee, for thou dooest and makest all
these things. I may therefore with _Brentius_ boldlie saie, that It is
neither in the power of witches nor divels, to accomplish that matter;
but in God onelie. For when exhalations are drawne and lifted up from
out of the earth, by the power of the sunne, into the middle region
of the aire, the coldnes thereof constreineth and thickeneth those
vapours; which being beecome clouds, are dissolved againe by the heate
of the sunne, wherby raine or haile is ingendred; raine, if by the waie
the drops be not frosen and made haile. These circumstances being
considered with the course of the whole scripture, it can neither be in
the power of witch or divell to procure raine, or faire weather.
♦Jere. 16, 22.♦
♦_Dii gentium dæmonia_, The gods of the gentiles are divels.♦
♦The naturall generation of haile and raine.♦
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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