never beleeve, that witches can change men into other formes; as asses, apes, woolves, beares, mice, &c. ♦_Dan. in dialog. cap. 3._♦ ♦_August. lib. de civit. Dei. cap. 17. 18._♦ The fift Chapter. _That the bodie of a man cannot be turned into the bodie of a beast by a witch, is prooved by strong reasons, scriptures, and authorities._ But was this man an asse all this while? Or was this asse a man? _Bodin_ saith (his reason onelie reserved) he was trulie transubstantiated into an asse; so as there must be no part of a man, but reason remaining in this asse. And yet _Hermes Trismegistus_ thinketh he hath good authoritie and reason to saie; _Aliud corpus quàm humanum non capere animam humanam; nec fas esse in corpus animæ ratione carentis animam rationalem corruere_; that is; An humane soule cannot receive anie other than an humane bodie, nor yet canne light into a bodie that wanteth reason of mind. But S. _James_ saith; the bodie without the spirit is dead. And surelie, when the soule is departed from the bodie, the life of man is dissolved: and therefore _Paule_ wished to be dissolved, when he would have beene with Christ. The bodie of man is subject to divers kinds of agues, sicknesses, and infirmities, whereunto an asses bodie is not inclined: and mans bodie must be fed with bread, &c: and not with hay. _Bodins_ asseheaded man must either eate haie, or nothing: as appeareth in the storie. Mans bodie also is subject unto death, and hath his daies numbred. If this fellowe had died in the meane time, as his houre might have beene come, for anie thing the divels, the witch, or _Bodin_ knew; I mervell then what would have become of this asse, or how the witch could have restored him to shape, or whether he should have risen at the daie of judgement in an asses bodie and shape. For _Paule_ saith, that that verie bodie which is sowne and buried a naturall bodie, is raised a spirituall bodie. The life of Jesus is made manifest in our mortall flesh, and not in the flesh of an asse. ♦_Hermes Trismeg in suo Periandro._♦ ♦Jam. 2, 26.♦ ♦Phili. 1, 23.♦ ♦1. Cor. 15. 44.♦