A Treatise of Witchcraft | Page 5

this Art, and the Professors thereof into Samaria, which
there continued for the space of sixe hundred yeares. Insomuch that it
was rife in common speech, when any would reproach another, to doe

the same in this forme; _Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a Diuell_ (a
familiar spirit) which the malicious Iewes, not abiding his heauenly and
gracious doctrine, obiected to Christ Iesus our blessed Sauiour, _Ioh. 8.
48_. The holy Apostle reprouing the Galathians for their sudden
Apostasie and back-sliding from the Gospell so powerfully preached
vnto them and with so great euidence of the spirit, as though Christ had
bin crucified before their eyes, doth it in no other termes than these,
_Who hath bewitched you?_ _Gal. 3. 1_. And afterward, _Cap. 5. 20._
marshalleth Witch-craft among the workes of the flesh: In both which
places the names are taken from the seducements and illusions of
Inchanters, who astonish the mindes, and deceiue the senses of men,
and all that by vertue of a contract passed betwene them and the Diuell.
Other like proofes may be added to these alledged, _Leuit. 20. 6._
_Micah 5. 12._ _Nahum 3. 4_. Now then when God affirmeth there be
such, whose words are truth, shall man dare once to open his mouth,
and contradict the most righteous?
[Footnote b: +Didaskalia+ +elenchos+ +epanorthôsis+ +paideia+.]
[Footnote c: _Philo in libro de legibus specialibus._]
[Footnote d: _Vide Paulum Phagium in annotationibus, & Chaldaicam
Paraphrasin in cap. 18. & 19. Leuitici._]
[Footnote e: _Bodinus in confutatione opinionum Wieri._]
Concerning humane witnesses, they be almost infinite; and therefore it
shall be sufficient to produce some few, choyce, and selected: [f] The
second Councell of Constantinople held and gathered together in the
Imperiall palace, of two hundred seuen and twenty learned and reuerent
Bishops, nameth sundry sorts of such Sorcerers, and censureth their
actions to be the damned practises of the Pagans, and decreeth all the
Agents therein excommunicated from the Church and society of
Christian people, adding the motiue reason of this their determined
sentence, from the Apostle, _2. Cor. 6. 14_. For righteousnesse hath no
fellowship with vnrighteousnesse, neither is there communion of light
with darknesse, nor concord with Christ and Belial, nor the beleeuer
can haue part with an Infidell. And [g]Chrysostome sharply reproueth

all such, and those who aduise with them vpon any occasion, confuting
the reasons which they take to be sufficient warantise of their doings.
As among the rest they will pretend, Shee was a Christian woman who
doth thus charme or inchant; and taketh no other but the name of God
in her mouth, vseth the words of sacred Scripture. To this that holy
Father replieth, Therefore she is the more to be hated, because shee
hath abused and taken in vaine that great and glorious name, and
professing herselfe a Christian, yet practiseth the [h]damnable Arts of
miscreant and vnbeleeuing Heathen. For the Diuels could speake the
name of God, and neuerthelesse were still Diuels; and when they said
vnto Christ, they knew who he was, the holy one of God, &c. _Mar. 1.
24.25._ their mouthes were stopped, he would no such witnesse, that
wee should learne, not to beleeue them when they say the truth: for this
is but a bait, that wee might afterward follow their lies. There is much
mention made of these, both in the Ciuill and [i]Canon Lawes, and
diuersitie of punishment alotted out for them; so that none can doubt
but that there hath beene, and are such. I might remember vnto you the
authority of Clemens Romanus in his Recognitions, and those
Constitutions which are fathered vpon the Apostles; but their credit is
not so great, that they may without exception be impannelled vpon this
Iury, for they haue long since been chalenged of [k]insufficiencie.
[Footnote f: _Cap 61. congregata est hac synodus sib Iustiniano qui
vocatus est +rhinotmêtês+, in qua erant Episcopi, 227. Balsamon in
suis ad eum Commentarijs, & vocata est synodus in Trullo erat autem
+ho trullos+ Secretarium palatij quia in eo fuit celebrata, eam aut[~e]
+pentekên+ vocat Balsamon quasi Quintisextã dicas quia quod quinte
& sexta synodis deerat (septem enim recipiunt Græci) hæc expleuit,
Nomenclator Græcorum dictionum quæ apud Harmenopulum occurrunt
in sui iuris Promptuario._]
[Footnote g: This testimony of Chrysostome is cited by Balsamon, in
his exposition vpon that Chapter of the Councell before alleaged, to
which may be added other of the same holy Bishop in his 9 Homily
vpon the Epistle to the Colossians, & his 6 Sermon against the Iewes.]
[Footnote h: _Superstitio tãto peior est quãto plura miscentur bona,

quoniã vnde debeat honorari Deus honoratur Diabolus. _Ioh. Gerson_
in Trilogio Astrologiæ Theologisatæ propositione 21._]
[Footnote i: _Vide Phothi[~u] Patriarchã Constantinopolitan[~u] in
nono Canone titulo 13. cap. 19_]
[Footnote k: Ierome in his Apology against