Demonology -- Early works to 1800; Magic -- Early works to 1800; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
It will not suffice to dissuade a witchmonger from his credulitie,
that he seeth the sequele and event to fall out manie times contrarie
to their assertion; but in such case (to his greater condemnation)
he seeketh further to witches of greater fame. If all faile, he will
rather thinke he came an houre too late; than that he went a mile too
far. Trulie I for my part cannot perceive what is to go a whoring after
strange gods, if this be not. He that looketh upon his neighbors wife,
and lusteth after hir, hath committed adulterie. And truelie, he that
in hart and by argument mainteineth the sacrifice of the masse to be
propitiatorie for the quicke and the dead, is an idolater; as also he
that alloweth and commendeth creeping to the crosse, and such like
idolatrous actions, although he bend not his corporall knees.
In like manner I say, he that attributeth to a witch, such divine
power, as dulie and onelie apperteineth unto GOD (which all
witchmongers doo) is in hart a blasphemer, an idolater, and full
of grosse impietie, although he neither go nor send to hir for
assistance.
♦To go to witches, &c. is idolatrie.♦
The sixt Chapter.
_A further confutation of witches miraculous and omnipotent
power, by invincible reasons and authorities, with
dissuasions from such fond credulitie._
If witches could doo anie such miraculous things, as these and other
which are imputed to them, they might doo them againe and againe, at
anie time or place, or at anie mans desire: for the divell is as strong
at one time as at another, as busie by daie as by night, and readie
enough to doo all mischeefe, and careth not whom he abuseth. And in so
much as it is confessed, by the most part of witchmoongers themselves,
that he knoweth not the cogitation of mans heart, he should (me thinks)
sometimes appeere unto honest and credible persons, in such grosse
and corporall forme, as it is said he dooth unto witches: which you
shall never heare to be justified by one sufficient witnesse. For
the divell indeed entreth into the mind, and that waie seeketh mans
confusion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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