A Treatise of Witchcraft | Page 8

disabled to resist all violent
rushing temptations: for one offence, not being truely repented of,
bringeth another, and at last throweth head-long downe into hell: and
by this meanes man despising God his creator & redeemer, and obeying
the Diuell a professed enemy, and irreconciliable aduersary, not easie
to be confronted, becommeth his seruant: for of whomsoeuer any is
ouercome, euen of the same is hee brought into bondage, _2. Pet. 2.
19_. And the Apostle giueth as the reason why the heathen were so
sottish Idolaters, and defiled themselues with many detestable and
loathsome sinnes, [c]because when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God, neither were thankfull, therefore God gaue them ouer to a
reprobate sence, and vile affections to doe those things which were not
conuenient, full of all vnrighteousnesse, _Rom 1. 24.25. &. 29_ So
these being enthralled, and deuoting themselues to the Diuell by a
mutuall league (either expresse or secret) he brandeth with his mark for
his [d]owne, as in ancient time was an vse with Bondslaues and
[e]Captiues, and these bee +ezôgrêmenoi+, taken aliue in his snare, _2.
Tim. 2. 26._ and that in some part of the body, least either suspected or
perceiued by vs (for hee is a cunning concealer) as vnder the eye-lids,
or in the palat of the mouth, or other secret places: Wherefore some
Iudges cause them, once being called into question, and accused, to be
shauen all the body[f] ouer. And for the manner of impression, or
branding, it is after this sort. The Diuell when hee hath once made the
contract betweene himselfe and the Witch, and agreed vpon the
conditions, what they shall doe, the one for the other, giueth her some
scratch[g], which remaineth ful of paine & anguish vntill his return
againe: at which time hee doth so benumme the same, that though it be
pierced with any sharpe instrument, yet is without any sence of feeling,
and will not yeeld one droppe of bloud at all: a matter knowne by iust,
often, and due triall.
[Footnote a: _Danæus de sortiarijs. cap. 20_]
[Footnote b: _Iaquerius in flagello Hereticorum, cap. 18._]

[Footnote c: _Peccatum si citius pænitendo non tergitur, iusto Iudicio
omnipotens Deus obligatam peccantis mentem, etiam in culpam
alteram permittit cadere, vt qui flendo & corrigendo noluit mundare
quod fecit, peccatum incipiat peccato cumulare, Greg. Hom. 11. in
Ezech. Augustinus lib. 83. questionum questione 97. & Aquinas 1. 2.
quæst. 79. artic. 3 & quæst. 87. artic. 2._]
[Footnote d: _Zanchius de operibus creationis, part. 1 lib. 4. cap. 15.
Danæus de sortiarijs cap. 4. & Erastus de Lamijs._]
[Footnote e: _De hoc more Alexander ab Alexandro. Dierum genialium
lib. 5. cap. 18. Suetonius in Caligula, cap. 27. Cicero de officijs lib. 2.
Cælius Rhodinginus Antiquarum lectionum lib. 7. cap. 31. & olim
militiæ Tyrones_ +stigmatiai+ _erant & in cute signati Vegetius lib. 1.
cap. 8. & 2. cap. 5. Prudentius_ +peri stephanôn+ _Hymno 10. & huius
moris meminit, Ambrosius in funebri oratione pro Valentiniano._]
[Footnote f: _Et insigne exemplum apud Gildemannum de Lamijs lib. 3.
cap. 10. sectione 38._]
[Footnote g: _Remigius in Dæmonolatria lib. 1. cap. 5._ and citeth the
confession of eight seuerall persons, acknowledging both to haue
receiued the marke and in what part of the body.]
And for the most part, hee bringeth these his slaues and vassailes
obliged to him as his owne, to some desperate, Tragicall,[h] and
disastrous end; and that either by the execution of Iustice for their
demerits, or by laying violent hands vpon themselues, or else God
powreth vpon them some strange and extraordinary vengeance, or their
Grand-maister whom they haue serued, dispatcheth them in such
manner, as they become dreadfull and terrible spectacles to the
beholders, whereof Histories will furnish vs with [i]varietie and plenty
of examples: For the Diuell is a murthering spirit, desirous to doe
mischiefe, swelling in pride, malitious in hatred, spitefull in enuy,
subtill in craft; and therefore it behoueth euery one resolutely to
withstand his assaults, _Ephes. 4. 27._ and cautelously to decline his
subtilties, and cunning ambushments [Sidenote: +methodeiai+] from
whence he inuadeth vs, _Eph. 6. 11._[k] For this aduersary against

whom we fight, is an old beaten enemy, sixe thousand yeares are fully
compleat since the first time hee began to assault mankinde. But if any
keepe the Commandements of God, and constantly, by a liuely faith,
cleaue fast vnto Christ, he shall ouercome: for our Lord is inuincible.[l]
The Diuels indeed doe willingly offer themselues to be seene of those
who are not gouerned by the Holy Ghost; and that either to win
themselues some estimation, or to intangle and deceiue men, vailing
their treacheries vnder a smiling countenance, whom they deadly hate,
for if it lay in their possibilitie, they would ouerthrow and