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
Now having given a full and satisfactory Answer to their main and
strongest Objections, and defeated the whole force of their first and
most furious Charge, we shall proceed to overthrow their main Battel, in
proving the four Particulars mentioned in the beginning of the Chapter,
to be false and impossible. And in doing of this, we shall handle the
three first promiscuously and all together, and the fourth about
Transubstantiations or Change of Witches into Cats, Hares, Dogs, Wolves,
or the like, we shall handle by it self.
[Sidenote: Eph. 2. 2.]
[Sidenote: 2 Thess. 2. 4.]
[Sidenote: Luk. 22. 2.]
[Sidenote: _Chrys. in Luc._ 22. 3.]
[Sidenote: Joh. 13. 2.]
1. And first we acknowledge an internal, mental, and spiritual League or
Covenant betwixt the Devil and all wicked persons, such as are Thieves,
Robbers, Murtherers, Impostors, and the like, whereby the temptations,
suggestions, and allurements of Satan, spiritually darted, and cast into
the mind, the persons so wrought upon, and prevailed withal, do assent
and consent unto the motions and counsels of the evil Spirit, and so do
make a League and Covenant with the said evil Spirit, as saith the Text:
_According to the Prince of the power of the air, that now worketh in
the children of disobedience_. He doth not only rule over them, but also
worketh in them; for men are either the Temples of God, or the Temples
of Satan and Antichrist, _who sitteth in the Temple of God, and opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that it called God or worshipped_. Such a
spiritual League or Covenant as this did _Judas_ make with the Devil,
whereby he agreed to betray his Master Christ. _Then entred Satan into
Judas_: not that essentially or personally he entred into _Judas_, but
that he put it into his heart, βεβληκότος, to betray him: which wrought
so effectively in him in a spiritual manner, that he took up that
Diabolical resolution to betray his innocent Master: and this was
entring into a spiritual League with the Devil. For as _Theophylact_
saith upon the place. _Hoc enim significat, spospondit, hoc est,
perfectam promissionem & pactum fecit._ And another saith: _In Judam
Satanas intravit, non impellens, sed patulum inveniens ostium: nam
oblitus omnium quæ viderat, ad solam avaritiam dirigebat intuitum_. And
again: _Missio ista spiritualis suggestio est, & non fit per aurem, sed
per cogitationem: diabolicæ enim suggestiones immittuntur, & humanis
cogitationibus immiscentur_.
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