Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
Here is place also for the Cabalisticall art, consisting of unwritten
verities, which the Jewes doo beleeve and brag that God himselfe gave
to _Moses_ in the mount _Sinai_; and afterwards was taught onelie
with livelie voice, by degrees of succession, without writing, untill
the time of _Esdras_: even as the scholers of _Archippus_ did use wit
and memorie in steed of bookes. They divide this in twaine; the one
expoundeth with philosophicall reason the secrets of the lawe and the
bible, wherein (they saie) that _Salomon_ was verie cunning; bicause it
is written in the Hebrew stories, that he disputed from the Cedar of
_Libanus_, even to the Hisop, and also of birds, beasts, &c. The other
is as it were a symbolicall divinitie of the highest contemplation, of
the divine and angelike vertues, of holie names and signes; wherein
the letters, numbers, figures, things and armes, the prickes over the
letters, the lines, the points, and the accents doo all signifie verie
profound things and great secrets. By these arts the Atheists suppose
_Moses_ wrote all his miracles, and that hereby they have power over
angels and divels, as also to doo miracles: yea and that hereby all the
miracles that either anie of the prophets, or Christ himselfe wrought,
were accomplished.
♦The art Cabalisticall divided.♦
But _C. Agrippa_ having searched to the bottome of this art, saith it
is nothing but superstition and follie. Otherwise you maie be sure
Christ would not have hidden it from his church. For this cause the
Jewes were so skilfull in the names of God. But there is none other
name in heaven or earth, in which we might be saved, but Jesus: neither
is that meant by his bare name, but by his vertue and goodnes towards
us. These Cabalists doo further brag, that they are able hereby, not
onelie to find out and know the unspeakeable mysteries of God; but
also the secrets which are above scripture; whereby also they take
upon them to prophesie, and to worke miracles: yea hereby they can
make what they list to be scripture; as _Valeria Proba_ did picke
certeine verses out of _Virgil_ alluding them to Christ. And therefore
these their revolutions are nothing but allegoricall games, which
idle men busied in letters, points, and numbers (which the Hebrew
toong easilie suffereth) devise, to delude and cousen the simple and
ignorant. And this they call Alphabetarie or Arythmanticall divinitie,
which Christ shewed to his apostles onelie, and which _Paule_ saith
he speaketh but among perfect men; and being high mysteries are not
to be committed unto writing, and so made popular. There is no man
that readeth anie thing of this _Cabalisticall_ art, but must needs
think upon the popes cunning practises in this behalfe, who hath
_In scrinio pectoris_, not onelie the exposition of all lawes, both
divine and humane, but also authoritie to adde thereunto, or to drawe
backe therefrom at his pleasure: and this may he lawfullie doo even
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