A Treatise of Witchcraft | Page 9

destroy
heauen it selfe. Now vnable to do this, they endeuour to worke vpon a
more weake subiect and matter; and therefore hee that will not bee
subdued of them, must auoid all occasions whereby he may take any
aduantage, and couered with the Breast-plate of Righteousnesse, and
defended with the Shield of Faith, quench all his fiery Darts. _Ephes. 6.
14._
[Footnote h: _Peucerus de præcipuis diuinationum generibus titulo de
Magia._]
[Footnote i: _Philippus Camerarius in Historicis medicationibus part. 1.
cap. 70. & 72._]
[Footnote k: _Cyprianus in pro[oe]mio libri de exhortatione ad
Martyrium._]
[Footnote l: _Tatianus oratione contra Gentes._]

_The third Proposition._
Except God do by his especial grace and ouerruling power, restraine
the malice of these Witches and preserue his Children, they are
permissiuely able,[a] through the helpe of the Diuell their maister, to
hurt Men and Beasts, and trouble the elements, by vertue of that
contract & agreement which they haue made with him. For man they
endamage both in body & mind: In body, for [b]Daneus reporteth of
his owne knowledge, as an eye-witnesse thereof, that he hath seene the

breasts of Nurces (onely touched by their hands) those sacred
fountaines of humane nourishment so dried vp that they could yeeld no
milke; some suddenly tormented with extreame and intolerable paine of
the Cholicke, others[c] oppressed with the Palsie, Leprosie, Gout,
Apoplexie, &c. And thus disabled from the performance of any action,
many tortured with lingring consumptions,[d] and not a few afflicted
with such diseases, which neither they themselues who wrought that
euill, could afterward helpe; nor be cured thereof by the Art and
diligent attendance of most skilfull Physitians. I willingly let passe
other mischiefes wrought by them, of which many things are deliuered
in the Canon and Ciuill Lawes, in the Schoole-men, and Diuines both
ancient and moderne.
[Footnote a: _Damascenus Orthodox. fidei lib. 2. cap. 4._ +exousian
echei kai eschon kata tinos oikonomikôs+, _Iaquerius flagelli
Hereticorum fascinariorum, cap. 25._]
[Footnote b: _Vberæ matris fontes sanctissimos humani generis
educatores vocat Phauorinus apud A. Gellium noct. Atticarum lib. 12.
cap. 1. Aretius problematum parte 2. Loco 144. de Magia._]
[Footnote c: Godlemanus de veneficis lib. 1 cap. 7.9.21.22.23.24.
25.26.&c.]
[Footnote d: _Exempla omnem fidem superantia Florentinæ mulieris &
vlrici cuiusdam Neucesseri refert Langius epist. Medicinalium lib. 2.
Epist. 38. è cuius ventriculo lignum teres & quatuor cultri exècti sunt:
eorum & formam & iustã longitudinem ponit. Lycosthenes lib. de
prodigijs & ostentis quo modo huiusmodi in corporibus humanis
inueniantur & qua ratione ingenerentur, aut eijciantur & an tribuenda
hac maleficijs & diabolica arti Binfeldius in commentario ad titulum
Codicis de maleficis & Mathematicis pag. 510._]
In minde, stirring vp men to lust, to hatred, to loue, and the like[e]
passions, and that by altering the inward and outward sences, either in
forming some new obiect, or offering the same to the eye or eare, or
stirring the humors: for there being a neere coniunction betweene the
sensitiue and rationall faculties of the soule, if the one bee affected, the

other (though indirectly) must of necessity be also moued. As for
example, when they would prouoke any to loue or hatred, they
propound an obiect vnder the shew and appearance of that which is
good and beautifull, so that it may be desired and embraced: or else by
representation of that which is euill & infamous, procure dislike and
detestation. Neither is this any strange position, or improbable, but may
bee warranted by sufficient authority; and therefore [f]Constantius the
Emperour doth expressely determine, all those iustly punishable who
sollicite by enchantments chaste mindes to vncleannesse: And Saint
[g]Ierome attributeth vnto them this power, that they can enforce men
to hate those things they should loue, and affect that which they ought
to auoyd: and the ground hereof hath his strength from the holy
Scriptures: for the Diuell is able to enflame wanton[h] lust in the heart,
and therfore is named, the Spirit of Fornication, _Osea 4. 12._ and
vncleane, _Math. 12. 43._
[Footnote e: _Gratianus in decretis, Caietanus in summula titulo de
maleficio. Iaquerius in flagello fascinariorum, cap. 11. 12. Ioh. Nider in
præceptorio, præcepto 1. cap. 11. Bodinus in Dæmonomania, lib. 2 cap.
*_]
[Footnote f: _Cod. Lib. 9. titulo 18. Lege est scientia, hanc legem
sugillat. Weirus de præstigijs dæmonum lib. 3. cap. 38._]
[Footnote g: _In 3. Caput prophet[e,] Nah[~u]ni, vide & Nazianzenum
in +aporêtais+, siue de arcanis vel principijs non procul à fine, & eius
paraphrasten Nicetam._]
[Footnote h: _Cassianus Collat. 7. cap. 32._]
There is a very remarkeable example mentioned by _Ierome_[i], of a
maiden in Gaza whom a yong man louing, and not obtaining, went to
Memphis in Egypt, and at the yeares end in his returne, being there
instructed by a Priest of Aesculapius, and furnished with Magicall
Coniurations,