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
[Sidenote: _Tom._ 7. _p._ 187.]
[Sidenote: 2 Cor. 2. 11.]
4. Surely if _Pererius_ had been aware of the many inconveniences that
this opinion of his doth hurry along with it, he would never have
plunged himself into a Labyrinth of such perplexities; some of which we
shall here enumerate and so conclude. 1. If this opinion were true, that
_Evah_ by reason of her perfection in the state of innocency could not
be tempted nor seduced, but only by an external way and means: Then how
could it come to pass that the Angels in their Primitive Estate, which
was as perfect (if not more) than that of _Evahs_, were without a
tempter or any external means drawn unto that defection, who left their
estate and station, and abode not in the truth? 2. How could the
defection have been so general (for multitudes of them fell) if they had
not had some way or means to have communicated their cogitations and
intentions one to another? For though we are not able to apprehend the
manner how they discourse or commune one with another, yet it must be
taken for a truth that they have a way and means to manifest their
cogitations one to another, which is some way Analogous to that which we
call speech or discourse. Therefore concerning this point doth learned
and judicious _Zanchy_ thus conclude. “Therefore (he saith) that which
we do by a sensible voice, the same thing the Angels and blessed Souls
in Heaven, yea the Devils in the infernal pit, and in the air, do
perform, but without voice, in a spiritual manner.” 3. If this opinion
were true, then the blessed Souls, being divested from their Bodies,
should not have a communion one with another, nor should jointly praise
and glorifie God together, which were false and absurd; and therefore
the learned Father said well: “It is to be holden stedfastly that the
offices of the Heavenly Hoast are by no means performed in silence;
seeing, we may read that the Angelical powers before the Throne of the
Lord, do sound forth his praise with unwearied voices.” 4. The sleights
and subtil machinations (for he hath his Νοήματα or devices) of Satans
Kingdom could not be carried on, if he had not a way and means to
communicate them to the rest of the Crew of his inferiour Fiends, and
therefore doth plainly prove that there is a way of hidden, Mystical and
Spiritual discourse, which the Devil might, and did represent to the
mind and understanding of _Evah_, whereby she was seduced, and that
there was no need of a vocal and audible interlocution; and so much in
answer to his objection.
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