The displaying of supposed witchcraft : $b Wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of deceivers and impostors, and divers persons under a passive delusion of melancholy and fancy. But that there is a corporeal league made betwixt the devil and the witch, or that he sucks on the witches body, has carnal copulation, or that witches are turned into cats, dogs, raise tempests, or the like, is utterly denied and disproved. Wherein also is handled, the existence of angels and spirits, the truth Webster, John
Religion
The displaying of supposed witchcraft : $b Wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of deceivers and impostors, and divers persons under a passive delusion of melancholy and fancy. But that there is a corporeal league made betwixt the devil and the witch, or that he sucks on the witches body, has carnal copulation, or that witches are turned into cats, dogs, raise tempests, or the like, is utterly denied and disproved. Wherein also is handled, the existence of angels and spirits, the truth
Webster, John
Witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Early works to 1800
7. There are divers other Transformations (at least so accounted and
called) which because they are not absolutely pertinent to our purpose,
we shall only mention slightly. 1. External changes of the body in
respect of diseases, and some by an extraordinary power, as that of
_Moses_, to whom the Lord said: _Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And
he put his hand into his bosom: And when he took it out: behold, his
hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom
again: And he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of
his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh._ Here we
see that the same hand was made leprous white as snow, and was again
restored as his other flesh. And this was done by a divine Power, such
as neither Devils nor Witches can perform. So _Gehazi_ of whom it is
said: _The leprosie therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto
thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as
snow._ And here the judgment was permanent, and no restauration, and was
a great Miracle, which Devils and Witches cannot perform. 2. There is
feigned, and artificial transfigurations. So of _David_, of whom it is
said: _And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad
in their hands, and scrambled on the doors of the gate, and let his
spittle fall down upon his beard_. And all this he prudently feigned,
that he might escape from _Achish_ the King of _Gath_, of whom he was
sore afraid: So many Persons of Worth have disguised themselves
strangely, that they might escape the hands of their enemies, or not
fall into their power, and yet these were not done by the Devils Art,
nor by Witchcraft. So a Stage-player transfigureth himself, sometimes to
personate one person, and sometimes another; and though his outward
habit, speech, and action be changed, yet he remaineth the same in
Nature and Person that he was before those changes, and so maketh
nothing for Witchcraft at all. 3. There are knavish Transfigurations and
Counterfeiting for deceitful and wicked ends, as in those we call
Gypsies, that discolour their faces and skins, to be more fit to cheat
and cozen. So likewise do many other vile and wicked persons counterfeit
Sores, Ulcers, Leprosie, Dropsie, and such like diseases, as may be seen
at large in _Ambrose Paræus_ Book of Monsters, and we have seen and
detected divers; and all this done only to deceive and abuse mens
goodness and charity: But no more of Devil in any of these, but the
wickedness of the mind, and the evil of the end and intention. Of a more
wicked grain and temper are those, that for wicked and devilish ends
counterfeit themselves to be possessed, and labour to make the World
believe, that the Devil doth move in divers parts of their bodies, and
doth speak in them, when it is nothing but only their own devilish
cunning in lying and counterfeiting, as we shall have occasion to shew
more fully hereafter. 4.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account