A09402:430
A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so far forth as it is…A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is…
A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so far forth as it is revealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true experience. Framed and delivered by M. William Perkins, in his ordinary course of preaching, and now published by Tho. Pickering Bachelor of Divinity, and minister of Finchingfield in Essex. Whereunto is adjoined a twofold table; one of the order and heads of the treatise; another of the texts of Scripture explained, or vindicated from the corrupt interpretation of the adversary.A discourse of the damned art of witchcraft so farre forth as it is reuealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true experience. Framed and deliuered by M. William Perkins, in his ordinarie course of preaching, and now published by Tho. Pickering Batchelour of Diuinitie, and minister of Finchingfield in Essex. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table; one of the order and heades of the treatise; another of the texts of Scripture explaned, or vindicated from the corrupt interpretation of the aduersarie.
Cambridge: printed by Cantrell Legge, 1610Cambridge: printed by Cantrel Legge, 1610
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First, this Law of Moses flatly enjoineth all men, in all ages, without limitation of circumstances, not to suffer the Witch to live, and hereupon I gather, that it must stand the same, both now and for ever to the worlds end.
First, this Law of Moses flatly enioyneth all men, in all ages, without limitation of circumstances, not to suffer the Witch to liue, and hereupon I gather, that it must stand the same, both now and for euer to the worlds ende.
Patrons of Witches except against this, holding that it was a Judicial law, which continued but for a time, & concerned only the Nation of the Jews, and is now ceased. But I take the contrary to be the truth, and that upon these grounds.
Patrons of Witches except against this, holding that it was a Iudiciall law, which continued but for a time, & concerned onely the Nation of the Iewes, and is now ceased. But I take the contrarie to be the truth, and that vpon these grounds.
I. Those Judicial Laws, whose penalty is death, because they have in them a perpetual equity, and do serve to maintain some moral precept, are perpetual. The Jews indeed had some Laws of this kind, whose punishments were temporal, and they lasted only for a certain time: but the penalty of Witchcraft, being Death by Gods appointment, and the inflicting of that punishment, serving to maintain the equity of the three first moral precepts of the first Table, which cannot be kept, unless this Law be put in execution: it ⟨p. 248⟩must necessarily follow, that it is in that regard moral, and binds us, and shall in like sort bind all men in all ages, as well as the Jews themselves, to whom it was at that time personally directed.